Heather Olivier, Ph.D., LPC, PMH-C, CCTP, NCC
Assistant Professor
Department
Department of Health and Human Sciences
Assistant Professor
Department
Department of Health and Human SciencesDr. Heather Olivier is a licensed professional counselor and supervisor specializing in perinatal loss, psychosomatic presentations of traumatic loss, and neurodiversity. She earned her PhD from The University of New Orleans. She is an assistant professor of counseling at Southeastern Louisiana University with a focus on creating inclusive curriculum design as well as bridging perinatal loss research and neurodiversity research. Dr. Olivier is a co-founder of the Southeastern Neurodiversity Initiative, which will cultivate campus-wide efforts to better serve neurodivergent individuals within the Southeastern community through research and inclusive design.
Dr. Olivier’s research regarding perinatal loss has received state and national recognition, and she is the first person in her field to ever receive the two highest national research awards given by the National Board for Certified Counselors and the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision. Heather is an editorial review board member for The Professional Counselor and an ad-hoc reviewer for Counselor Education and Supervision. Dr. Olivier served the state of Louisiana as a member of the Louisiana Pregnancy Associated Mortality Review board within the department of health, and regularly presents to interdisciplinary audiences on reproductive health, patient and practitioner wellness, and cultural stigma impacting trauma. Heather’s love for counselor education was acknowledged by receiving the 2024 Rising Counselor Educator award by the Louisiana Association for Counselor Education and Supervision. Dr. Olivier is also the owner of Olivier Counseling and Consulting, a private practice serving clients who have experienced perinatal loss and other traumatic losses.
Dr. Olivier specializes in neurodiversity-affirming practices within the mental health field and within university settings. Her research expertise focuses on cultural grief biases influential in the diagnosis process specifically regarding perinatal loss. From her research, Dr. Olivier developed a model to work with trauma and grief separately and concurrently.