Check Out Heather Oglesby’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Oglesby.

Hi Heather, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Of all the things that people know about me, it’s that they know I am close with my grandmothers. Building close relationships with my elders began when I was young; my brother and I would usually spend the night at my grandma Jenny’s house once a week. We’d enjoy her grilled cheese sandwiches and trips to the libraries. My grandma Mary Lou was equally important as we’d often have adventures going on mountain drives and exploring fun things to do in the Denver area.

Unfortunately, my grandma Jenny suffered greatly due to a multiple sclerosis diagnosis which led to her living in a nursing home facility for seven years. My goal was always to visit her at least once a week. I made this happen but the experience of watching a love one fade away due to illness completely broke my heart.

As a result, caring for elders has always been a primary value of mine. When I started to train as a therapist in 2018, I knew that this demographic would be a dream to work with. However, it was uncommon to see Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) or Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT) doing therapeutic work in the field of geriatrics due to insurance barriers. In fact, it was only in 2024 that LMFTs could actually bill Medicare (the insurance that people over 65 carry) which opened the door to so many providers being able to expand into supporting older adults.

When I completed my training as a therapist and counselor in 2022 at the University of Colorado Denver, I was eager to merge my training in emotionally focused therapy (EFT) with older adults but I didn’t see many opportunities to do so. That was until I found a posting associated with Aurora Mental Health & Recovery (AMHR). Low and behold, they have an Older Adults team and they were seeking a clinician to expand counseling services for their clientele. I immediately applied, got the job, and joined the team!

The Older Adult team at AMHR has 10 clinicians (including our interns) of various disciplines (social workers, relational therapists, counselors, and psychologists) that specialize in working with older adults for mental health care. Our team offers clinical expertise in areas of grief and loss, aging and wellness, depression, and other clinical areas of focus for older adults. We offer outpatient care at our clinic in Aurora as well as complete outreach to clients at nursing homes and assisted living facilities. I have benefitted greatly from the mentorship of our team leader, Carol Reszka, who has been working in geriatrics for several decades. She leads our team to operate under the model that depression and anxiety do not have to be part of the aging experience and that finding meaning and purpose is possible.

I absolutely love being a therapist and so deeply value and honor the stories my clients share with me.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My journey as a therapist has been a winding road filled up with many ups and many downs.

Prior to joining the Older Adults team at AMHR, I experienced the sudden loss of my brother, Lance. His death was shocking and occurred right as I was at the end of graduate school. Lance was not only my sibling and friend, he was a companion in life for me. We both loved our grandparents so much that he also had began building his career in social work at a nursing facility. Lance’s death had me questioning whether I had the strength of fortitude to continue my career. Ultimately, I kept going and I am so glad that I did. I absolutely know that he’s very proud of me.

Other struggles have been learning how to balance the pain and struggle of so many with being able to continue to show up with compassion and empathy. The therapy field has a major challenge of burn out and I am constantly working hard to avoid this. It has been crucial for me to learn how to implement boundaries in both my professional and personal life so that I can continue to fill all the roles that are required of me: therapist, wife, mother, daughter, and friend.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in relational therapy which means that I bring a systemic lens to any of the therapy I provide. Even when I am working with individuals, I am always curious to understand how one’s relationships impact their own mental health. I believe that we exist within so many ecosystems in our life and it’s important to figure out how we move through each of them.

On the Older Adults team at AMHR, I work with clients on a variety of concerns: memory issues, depression, anxiety, PTSD, relational conflict, grief and loss, identity concerns, and other clinical presentations. I typically work with clients using emotionally focused approaches as well as implementing aspects of internal family systems, narrative therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy.

I am most proud of the relationships I have built with my clients. Some feedback I have received has been that people find me to be authentic, warm, and safe. As a therapist, I find this to be the highest of compliments. More than that, it is a joy to see clients grow and find love for themselves in a world that often has cruel narratives about getting older. When clients can fully embrace the aging process, I am reminded of why our work is so imperative.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson that I have learned (and continue to learn) is humility. Therapists are essential workers; we are clinicians that are giving space for stories that need to be heard. That said, we are not infallible — we are human. And so I have learned the importance of admitting mistakes when I have made them. When there has been a rupture in a relationship with a client, it is more important that I keep an open mind to learning versus preserving my ego. It is a lesson that is constantly present in the therapy process and I feel that working with older adults has been a unique way to learn about my own humanness.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.auroramhr.org/
• Instagram: @auroramentalhealth

Image Credits
First two images are with my grandmothers.
Office picture is of AMHR’s new Potomac office. The OA office is located in Aurora off of Hampden & Parker.
The image of the desk is working from home (with my cat).