Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Nitzki.
Hi Heather, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Yes, I’d love to! I’ll spare you all the details, but I will say that my life—like many others—has had its fair share of not-so-fun (some might even say traumatic) experiences. Looking back, I can see that those challenges were the most influential part of my journey. It wasn’t just about going through them, but more about revisiting them later to uncover meaning— the opportunities for growth. Those weren’t always obvious and often required a lot of searching. But that process, more than anything else, has shaped the path that I continue to walk on today.
On a more practical level, my passion for helping others began when I was young. I spent much of my free time volunteering at camps and various events, which led me to start my undergraduate studies with the intention of becoming an elementary school teacher—a job I’d wanted to do since second grade. As part of my coursework, I began student teaching alongside one of my former teachers, something that to this day, I still feel grateful that I got to experience. While I loved working with the kids and reconnecting with my old teacher, I quickly realized I wanted a career that was deeper and more intimate.
Without much hesitation, I switched my major to begin pursuing a career as a marriage and family therapist. Over the next six years, I earned my associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees. After graduating, I moved to Michigan and began working at a group practice in Grand Rapids as a limited licensed practitioner. Once I obtained full licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist, I opened my own practice, Impression Psychotherapy. Fast forward roughly 2.5 years, and that’ll bring you to now.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Yes and no. Life is life, so I don’t think it’s ever completely smooth for anyone. I mean, where would the fun be if everything went perfectly 100% of the time? Sure, it might be easier, but it would also be less exciting — and far less impactful.
I’ve certainly had my share of struggles, both personally and professionally, on the way to where I am now. But I believe the real difference lies in how you view those obstacles. Do you see them as something that will stop you? Or as a sign that you need to push harder, keep trying, and—against all odds—find another way? That’s the perspective I chose to take when hardships arise.
For me, and like many others, the biggest battles have been internal. Learning to let thoughts simply be thoughts, rather than facts. Allowing myself to set logic aside and trust my feelings and intuition. Finding ways to reveal the deepest parts of myself – and letting those parts be seen and known by others. Being fully expressive, intentional, emotional, and authentic, and putting that energy in the world. Ultimately, it’s about being fully yourself—and not letting anyone or anything stop you from doing whatever you set your mind to.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I’m a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in Michigan, and I work with individuals, couples, and families. My specialties include relationship issues, adolescents/teens, attachment disruptions, people-pleasing, self-esteem, domestic violence, sexual assault, trauma, and PTSD.
I founded my practice, Impression Psychotherapy, on the belief that the meaningful relationships in our lives leave lasting impressions. Safe, supportive relationships can have a positive impact on our well-being and psyche, while harmful relational experiences can leave painful, long-lasting marks. My goal is to create a space where clients can collaborate with me to find relief and healing from the unresolved relational wounds that have been made along the way.
I practice depth psychology and primarily utilize attachment theory, which means most of my work is deeper, long-term psychotherapy focused on building security in the therapeutic relationship and exploring clients’ closest relationships, viewing their symptoms and struggles through a systematic lens. This approach allows for true healing of core wounds, creating lasting changes rather than just “bandaging” them for temporary relief.
If I had to identify what sets me apart from other clinicians, it would be the depth and humanness I bring to my work. I’ve explored (and honestly, continue to explore) the deeper parts of my own mind, which gives me the confidence and capacity to walk alongside my clients into the full depth of their emotional worlds. While holding the light as we navigate some of the darkest parts of their minds, I ensure there’s space for both of us to bring our full humanness. That means bad jokes, silly puns, intermittent and appropriate self-disclosure (your therapy isn’t about me!), occasional avoidance, fidgetiness, quirkiness, and all the other ridiculous, but totally authentic, traits that make us human.
I’m a therapist, yes, but I’m also not a robot. How can I expect clients to access their deepest emotions if they don’t have a sense of the person sitting across from them? And how could I expect them to explore those places if I haven’t done that work myself? This is why I’m committed to showing up as my authentic self and remaining a lifelong learner. Our inner worlds are vast and ever-evolving; there will always be more to discover— we just have to decide to keep digging.
What does success mean to you?
Success, to me, is being proud of the person I see in the mirror every day—not my physical appearance, but the character of the person underneath. The deep, emotional, flawed, quirky, imperfect person hidden beneath the surface.
Success is taking feedback from others, but first checking in with myself before accepting it as fact. It’s loving the people in my life openly, deeply, and without shame for the depth of my feelings. It’s refusing to hide who I truly am, because the core of me is far more interesting than what anyone sees at first glance.
Success is treating every obstacle life throws my way as an opportunity—an invitation to learn, to grow, and to deepen the relationships in my life. It’s taking risks when necessary, knowing that sometimes the bigger the risk, the greater the reward. It’s creating consistency, security, and safety within myself so that when the outside world feels chaotic, I remain grounded.
Success is practicing gratitude for all of life—not just the easy parts, but also the difficult ones, trusting that even the struggles carry meaning and purpose. It’s choosing, every day, to search for the lesson, the reason, the opportunity to grow—in every relationship and every interaction.
Ultimately, success to me is continuing to take one step every single day toward being the happiest, most healed, and most authentic version of myself. It’s finding ways to love that person, even on the days where I feel less than lovable. It’s loving everyone in my life, with everything I have, for as long as I possibly can. Like Ted Mosby said in How I Met Your Mother (which, for the record, is my favorite television show): “Here’s the secret, kids… none of us can vow to be perfect. In the end, all we can do is promise to love each other with all that we’ve got… because love is the best thing we do.” And to me, that’s exactly what success is—choosing love, in its fullest capacity, and living it fully, every single day.
Pricing:
- Standard Rates (Out-of-Pocket): Initial Intake Session $200 Each Additional Session $170
- Sliding Scale Rates: Initial Intake Session $170-200 Each Additional Session $110-170
- Insurance Rates (INN with BCBS and BCN): My fees are determined by the rates negotiated with insurance providers, and the specifics of each individual plan. After the first session, we can verify your specific benefits and out-of-pocket costs under your plan. But if you’d like information on your rates beforehand, you can always contact your provider to verify coverage.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.impressionpsychotherapy.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/impressionpsychotherapy/
