Dr. Heather Mesa is a licensed clinical psychologist in California with three + years of professional experience dedicated to helping individuals navigate life’s challenges. With specialized training in health psychology and neuropsychology, she works with patients addressing stress, anxiety, mood symptoms, grief and loss, motivation, self-esteem, confidence, cognitive limitations, sleep difficulties, and life transitions.
Dr. Mesa earned her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (PsyD) from Alliant International University and a Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW) from Loma Linda University. Before becoming a psychologist, she served as a child welfare social worker, supporting families in the reunification process.
Her professional training spans diverse settings, including community mental health, medical centers, academic hospitals, and VA systems. During her doctoral internship, Dr. Mesa worked with veterans at a VA medical center, where she gained invaluable experience in understanding the unique needs of this population. She further advanced her expertise during a postdoctoral residency at Kaiser Vacaville Medical Center, a Level 2 trauma surgery medical center. There, she provided psychological care to patients in the emergency department and served as a liaison between medical teams, including physicians and nurses. Her residency also included a rotation in the Women’s Health Clinic, where she delivered maternal mental health services, addressing perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and supporting women through pregnancy and postpartum transitions.
In her spare time, Dr. Mesa enjoys spending quality time with her family and dogs, hiking in nature, traveling to new places, and training in jiu-jitsu. She finds these activities to be grounding and a way to maintain balance in her personal life.
Dr. Mesa is passionate about fostering the mind-body connection and teaching self-compassion as essential tools for healing and growth. Her compassionate approach and broad expertise enable her to create individualized care plans tailored to the unique needs of each person she works with. She is dedicated to empowering her clients to achieve balance and resilience in their lives.
Additional areas of focus: Adoption and foster care, Aging and geriatric issues, Caregiver issues and stress, Chronic pain, illness, and disability, Communication problems, First responder issues, Veteran and Armed Forces Issues, Postpartum depression, Pregnancy and childbirth, Self-love, Sexual assault and abuse, Social anxiety and phobia, Traumatic brain injury, Women's issues, Workplace issues
Clinical approaches: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CA Psychologist 35063