About.
Heather Laskaris Vargas, PsyD
Therapy, to me, is one of the most meaningful journeys a person can take — and it's one I feel honored to be a part of.
I'm Dr. Heather Vargas, a licensed psychologist and the founder of Del Alma Psychological Services. I work with adults who are ready to understand themselves more deeply: why they feel stuck, why certain relationships are hard, why anxiety or sadness keeps showing up even when life looks okay on paper.
I believe that the ways we cope, protect ourselves, and relate to others aren't flaws — they're adaptations. They made sense at some point. In therapy, we get curious about those adaptations together, and we work toward ones that serve you better now.
My approach is collaborative, culturally grounded, and tailored to you. I use evidence-based methods not as a rigid formula, but as a set of tools we can draw from based on what you actually need.
As a Cuban American, bilingual psychologist, I bring both lived experience and professional training to the work of culturally responsive care. I offer sessions in English and Spanish, and I particularly value working with Latinx individuals and those navigating bicultural identities.
I completed my doctorate at Pacific University's APA-accredited School of Professional Psychology and have clinical experience across community mental health, crisis, primary care, and school-based settings.
Del Alma Psychological Services is a telehealth-only practice, serving clients in Florida and Oregon.
If you're ready to take that first step, I'd love to connect.
Therapeutic Approaches
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Attachment-Based Therapy
How early relational experiences impact your relationship with the self, others, and how you respond to the environment around you.
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Emotionally-Focused Therapy
Understanding how our attachment style, emotional experiences, and unmet emotional needs can impact our behaviors and interactions.
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Trauma-Informed Care
Recognizing the widespread impact trauma has on the mind and body, while improving the overall capacity for coping and regulation through care.
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Mindfulness
Creating a non-judgmental and observant stance to present thoughts, feelings, and sensations to improve self-awareness and more adaptive responses.
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Identifying and shifting the patterns of beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors that contribute to current challenges and distress.
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Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
Developing skills to manage intense emotions, improve interpersonal relationships, and enhance the ability to tolerate distress.
“Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.”
— BRENÉ BROWN