Dr. Heck graduated from Vassar College in 1995 with a BS and departmental honors in Psychology. Following college, she worked at Yale University for two years conducting research in the Department of Psychiatry. She earned an M.S. (1999) and a Ph.D.(2003) in Clinical Psychology from Penn State University, which consistently ranks in the top 10 graduate clinical psychology programs in the U.S.
Dr. Heck completed a predoctoral internship in 2003 and a postdoctoral fellowship in 2004, both at Pennsylvania Hospital (part of the University of Pennsylvania Health System) in Philadelphia.
In 2018, Dr. Heck completed training as an executive coach and leadership advisor through Teleos Leadership Institute. Soon thereafter, in 2019, she joined the training faculty at Teleos. She received an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential in 2020 and a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credential in 2022, both through the International Coach Federation.
In the Spring of 2016, Dr. Heck became a regular guest on G-town Radio's morning talk show, "Morning Feed," as their in-house expert psychologist. Feel free to check out podcasts of these fun and informative episodes listed under the "radio" tab. Since then, Dr. Heck has developed and hosted three live radio shows on G-town Radio: "The (Not So) Hidden Agenda," “We’re All Crazy,” and “The Everyday Feminist.” Hidden Agenda, which featured in-depth interviews of local professionals and artists, retired in December of 2020 to make way for her pandemic-era show, We’re All Crazy, which focused on the intersection of psychology and daily life in America. In her most recent show, The Everyday Feminist, Dr. Heck explores the critical importance of domestic and relational gender equality with her co-host, Lois Volta. It airs live on G-town Radio/92.9fm in NW Philadelphia and worldwide at gtownradio.com weekly on Sundays from 5-6pm; replays of all shows are available on all major podcast platforms. (Disclaimer: Dr. Heck's radio shows and podcasts are not related to her clinical practice as a licensed psychologist in any way.)
Early in her career, Dr. Heck had the privilege of returning to Pennsylvania Hospital to facilitate parent-infant groups at Hall-Mercer's Child and Parent Center. She has also been an invited instructor and lecturer for the current psychology interns and post-docs at Pennsylvania Hospital. From 2009-2011, she served on the faculty of the Early Childhood Mental Health Certification Program, which is offered by the Widener Univeristy Post-Graduate Center. In addition, she is a Past-President of the Delaware Valley chapter of the World Association of Infant Mental Health (DVG-WAIMH).
Dr. Heck frequently consults with and receives ongoing training from world-renowned psychoanalysts and authors Dr. Nancy McWilliams and Dr. Beatrice Beebe.
She holds a license to practice psychology in the state of Pennsylvania and is a member of PSYPACT, which allows her to use her psychology license to practice in participating states via telehealth.
*If you would like to meet with Dr. Heck virtually and are not located in Pennsylvania, follow the link above to see if your state has enrolled in PSYPACT.
She is also a member of the following organizations:
Dr. Heck's past research has focused on the effects of stress and life experiences on parents' childrearing.
Feel free to check out her blog about the interface of psychology and modern life at www.moresimplyhuman.com.