Heidi Nelson has nineteen years of experience as a mental health leader. She now serves as the Director of Student Counseling in a university counseling center. Her career in leadership has allowed her to impact the implementation and delivery of trauma supports, evidence-based practices, and inter-disciplinary collaboration. Heidi is a Nationally Certified Counselor and Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor. She has served as a certified trainer and coach to support families with crisis history through University of Maryland. She is, also, a recent graduate of a life coaching program (accredited by the International Coaching Federation). Heidi is a native of Louisiana and a graduate of Dillard University in New Orleans, LA. She received her Master’s in Counseling Psychology from The University of Southern Mississippi. She is an alumna of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health’s FOCUS Accelerated Leadership Program and National Council for Behavioral Health’s Management Academy. She serves on two non-profit boards in Hattiesburg, MS, which are RISE and Senior Corp Foster Grandparents Program.  Additionally, Heidi is the founder of PrepLYFE, PLLC, a consulting company which encourages others to Prepare and Live for Your Future Enthusiastically