Heidi Dijak, LMSW

Heidi Dijak is a licensed social worker in Michigan with 35 years of experience. She meets people where they are and helps them manage stress, anxiety, anger, addiction concerns, and shifts in life circumstances. Her style is straightforward and respectful, aimed at practical steps that make daily life easier.

Heidi draws on cognitive behavioral methods to help people identify unhelpful thoughts and build different habits. She also uses client-centered techniques to shape conversations around each person's values and goals. Dialectical behavior skills and mindfulness practices are woven in when emotion regulation or distress tolerance is needed.

Sessions focus on clear goals and usable tools. Heidi often works on coping skills, relapse prevention for process or substance addiction, communication strategies, and rebuilding self-esteem. She pays attention to cultural and individual differences when shaping plans.

Over a long career she has helped people with codependency, control problems, impulsivity, loneliness, mood struggles, paranoia, phobias, and other concerns related to personality or behavior. Her approach is to listen first, then suggest options that fit a person’s life and routines.

People who choose Heidi can expect collaborative work that blends practical strategies with empathetic listening. She encourages small steps and tracks progress so changes feel manageable. Starting therapy is described as a brave step, and she aims to make the process respectful and steady.

Practical approaches you can use online

Heidi commonly draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which focuses on spotting unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors to reduce anxiety or improve mood. CBT is often used for stress, phobias, mood problems, and addictive patterns. She pairs that with client-centered work that keeps the conversation grounded in what matters to the person, letting goals and values guide the plan.

When strong emotions or impulsive behaviors are involved, Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills can be added. DBT skills teach concrete techniques for regulating emotion, tolerating distress, and improving communication. Together these approaches give a mix of thought-focused tools, practical skills, and empathic listening to match different struggles.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose methods that fit their needs, goals, and daily routines. That shared decision-making helps shape what is tried first and how progress is measured.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect, including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text messaging. Video is useful when visual cues help the conversation, phone works well for lower bandwidth or easier check-ins, and messaging can support short updates or emotion-focused exercises between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy or changing schedules.