Heather Reck - Board Secretary (April 2010)
Heather is a native of Washington DC who came to Colorado in 2004. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Science and received a Master’s Degree in mental health counseling from Capella University. Heather has spent the past sixteen years utilizing her dogs in animal assisted activities and therapy. Heather currently has a private practice, B.E.A.R. (Believe, Empower, Appreciate, Respect) Animal Assisted Therapy and works as a counselor with Arapahoe House. She has two wonderful children.
Heather got involved with New Foundations Nonviolence Center in March, 2008 when she was searching for a place to fulfill a mental health counseling internship. Heather wanted to work with the incarcerated population due to her belief that all people should be treated with respect no matter their choices in life. Heather believes making life choices when an individual is coming from unfathomable diversities is quite different from making choices when given the skills, resources, and support of family and friends. She wanted to work with this population to help them have faith in someone on the “outside.” Heather wanted them to know they were worthy of help if they wanted it. Thank goodness for Bruce, he went out of his way to make it happen so Heather could fulfill an internship with NFNC. In June, 2008 the one year internship began. Heather learned as much from each of her clients as they hopefully did from her, enhancing her belief that every human being deserves respect.
As Heather’s internship was coming to an end, she realized that NFNC needed to continue to be a part of her life so she took on the job of secretary of the board. Heather will soon be completing her Alternatives to Violence Program training and looks forward to becoming a facilitator.