Dr. Heather Hessel
Dr. Heather Hessel graduated with a B.A. in Humanities from Loyola Marymount University, a M.A. in Counseling Psychology from the University of St. Thomas, and a Ph.D. from the Department of Family Social Science at the University of Minnesota. Today, she is an Assistant Professor in Marriage & Family Therapy and Human Development & Family Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. Her research interests include the young adult life stage, extended family relationships, the role of technology in family relationships, and in the role of technology within the therapy space. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Approved Supervisor for the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). Dr. Hessel's clinical interests include parent-child relationships, mindfulness, and Buddhist Psychology.
After many years in program administration, teaching courses, and operating a small online clinical practice in MN and WI, Dr. Hessel decided to step into the role of Program Director for UW-Stout’s Marriage and Family Therapy graduate program. In that role, she continued UW-Stout's high quality of therapy training and working with WAMFT's Meeting of the Minds to grow institutional, supervisory, and student support throughout the state of Wisconsin.
Dr. Hessel enjoys married life with her two adoptive sons, who pushed her hard to graduate with her doctorate. She was an inspiration to what they too could accomplish and attended her graduation with her to root her down the aisle as she grabbed that diploma. As a family, they enjoy traveling and vacationing aboard and within the country. She is very excited to take this year's award for her research, writing, and presentations helping all of us better understand the world of AI and how we can benefit from it, learn from it, and how to be ethical with it.