Founder | Professional Certified Coach (PCC) | Certified Master NLP Practitioner
Heather Patton
Heather specializes in recovery from toxic and abusive relationships, with a particular focus on narcissistic dynamics. She is Healing Self Compass’s lead practitioner for people seeking support in that area.
Areas of focus: Recovery from toxic and abusive relationships, with specialized support for narcissistic dynamics, trauma bonds, coercive control, boundary development, and rebuilding self trust.
Biography
Hi, I’m Heather, founder of Healing Self Compass. I work with people who are trying to make sense of toxic or abusive relationships, especially narcissistic dynamics, and the difficult questions that often follow. You may be second-guessing your own perceptions, struggling to hold a boundary, grieving what you hoped the relationship could be, or wondering what comes next. My role is to offer honest conversation, practical reflection, and support while keeping your choices in your hands.
This work is personal to me. I spent many years in an abusive relationship before I was able to leave. That experience changed how I understand the confusion, isolation, and loss of self-trust that can develop over time. It also became part of the commitment behind Healing Self Compass: helping people name harmful patterns without shame and reconnect with their own voice, judgment, and direction.
Professional training has given me useful tools, but tools alone do not create trust. Credentials can tell you how someone has been trained; conversation shows you how they listen and how they respond when things are complicated. I show up with directness, transparency, warmth, and no judgment. I will not tell you how your story should end or promise an outcome. We can look carefully at what is happening, what keeps repeating, what matters most to you, and which next steps feel realistic.
You do not have to share your entire story at once. We can begin with the part that feels most important today. That could be a confusing interaction, a boundary you are considering, a decision you are weighing, or simply the need to say something out loud without having it minimized. Healing Self Compass provides coaching, not therapy, diagnosis, legal advice, or crisis response. When a need falls outside coaching, clear boundaries and appropriate outside support matter.
Outside of HSC, my greatest joys are my three daughters, my grandchildren, lifelong friends who have become family, and my four-legged sidekick, Mav. I love traveling, being near the water, golfing, hiking, cheering on my favorite teams, listening to music, and saying yes to a new adventure when I can.
If you are wondering whether Healing Self Compass might be a good fit, let’s talk about it.
Credentials, training, and informed practice
Professional credentials and designations
- Certified Master NLP Practitioner
- Trauma-Informed Specialist
- Recovery Specialist
- Internal Family Systems (IFS)-Informed Practitioner
- Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, Levels I and II (CCTP I & II)
- ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC)
Additional training
- Attachment-Based Therapy Training
- Somatic Trauma Training
- Advanced Timeline Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
Areas of working experience
- Interpersonal Neurobiology
- Memory Reconsolidation
- Applied Neuroscience Coaching
These items describe Heather’s professional preparation and experience. Healing Self Compass services remain coaching and educational support, not psychotherapy, clinical diagnosis, medical treatment, legal advice, or crisis care.
