The Unstuck Studio:
Evidence-Based Mental Health and Wellness Solutions in Nebraska
What You Probably Won’t Find Here
I’m not interested in positioning myself as the expert on your own experience.
I also tend not to rely heavily on worksheets, structured homework, or a long list of coping skills aimed at helping you manage symptoms without understanding what is underneath them.
And I’m not particularly good at being emotionally removed from the work.
Therapy is a relationship, and I believe genuine emotional presence matters. You can expect me to be engaged with you, responsive to what is happening between us, and willing to sit with the parts of your experience that may feel messy, contradictory, uncomfortable, or difficult to explain.
Education and Licensing
I have a bachelor’s degree in psychology, applied behavior analysis, and am trained in behavioral therapy (ABA). I have a masters degree in clinical mental health counseling from the University of Nebraska. I have been licensed in the state of Nebraska to practice psychotherapy since 2023. I have advanced training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and am an EMDR practitioner.
Meet Your Practitioner
Many clients who reach out to me for therapy are experts at keeping things together on the outside. They’re smart, capable, and helpful. They often describe their lives as “fine.”
Yet just beneath the surface, there is a vague discomfort, a sense of disconnection, an aloneness, that never fully lets up.
This is where the work begins. You may have tried therapy before. Perhaps you’ve read the books, listened to the podcasts, uncovered some of your patterns and where they came from. But internally, something feels…off.
The work here is about going a little deeper — helping what you understand intellectually begin to feel different internally, so that over time, you can feel more present, more connected, and more at home in your own life.
Jason Heck, MS, PLMHP
I’m Jason Heck, a licensed therapist in Nebraska
My work is based on the belief that each one of us has the capacity for deep transformation and lasting internal healing. I use evidence-based therapeutic approaches that support making this belief a reality by helping you make sense of what’s going on inside you and navigating towards clarity, choice, and true freedom.
My approach is rooted in collaboration, curiosity, and a willingness to be a real person in the room with you.
I will ask about your pets, share in your humor, and answer your questions honestly and directly.
I will also show up ready to explore with you. I’m interested in slowing down to notice what’s happening beneath the surface, and to witness the parts of you that have been waiting to come up for air.
I see therapy as a partnership. I bring training, perspective, and curiosity; you bring the lived experience of being you.
Together, we work toward greater understanding, resolution, connection, and freedom.
Therapy can be a strange thing to begin. You’re sitting down with someone you don’t know and being asked, eventually, to let them into parts of your life that may have felt private, confusing, painful, or difficult to put into words.
I don’t take that lightly.
I specialize in treating personality disorders and complex trauma, including childhood abuse and neglect, emotional and relational trauma. I also I work with a variety of concerns, which often include those related to identity and self-concept, shame and self-worth, emotional reactivity/suppression, anxiety, dissociation, and relationship patterns.
My role is not to tell you who you are or who you should become. It is to support the capacity for healing, connection, and growth that is already yours.
A little about me…..
I’m a Licensed Psychotherapist providing therapeutic services to residents in Nebraska. I work with people from the age of 14 to 140.
I’m drawn to this work because I’m endlessly interested in the ways people adapt, protect themselves, make meaning, and find their way back to themselves.
Outside of the therapy room, I value humor, good conversation, and time that feels unhurried. I appreciate the small things in life; a newly unfurled leaf, the sound of rain, a kind gesture. I believe there is something deeply meaningful about being able to feel more present in your own life — not just during the big moments, but in the ordinary ones too.
I am deeply empathic and believe an authentic human connection is vital for the process of therapy. In other words, you are not just a client; I pride myself in truly investing in you.
I want to do everything I can to ensure high quality, customized, and deeply personal therapy is available to those that seek it. I offer virtual care and in person sessions in a comfortable office. I see people during traditional daytime hours, evenings until 10pm, and on weekends. I accept many commercial insurance plans and Nebraska Medicaid, Molina and United Health Care. I also offer a sliding scale when insurance isn’t available. If you have a barrier that we can’t figure out, I will provide you with referrals that can help.
Professional Psychotherapy and Counseling
Initial Assessment and Customized Treatment Planning
Our first session or two will include a comprehensive assessment designed to help me understand who you are and what is important to you. We will discuss your history and highlight many of the events and accomplishments that have contributed to making you, you! We will discuss your goals for therapy and the outcomes you would like to realize. Most importantly, we will begin the process of getting to know one another. We will discuss areas of your life that feel “stuck.” It is also vital to highlight successes that you maybe would like to improve even further upon.
Following our comprehensive assessment, I will create a customized treatment plan designed to utilize identified therapeutic modalities to treat specific areas of concern. In other words, I will craft a one of a kind roadmap detailing what we do in our sessions and why.
Psychotherapy, Counseling, and Coaching
Once we have our treatment plan, we will decide the frequency of our sessions. Some clients may require intensive therapy in order to stabilize an imbalance, which can occur twice per week. For most, a weekly 50 minute session will be scheduled.
Depending on the goals of your treatment plan, we will decide where therapy should occur. For many, meeting virtually online is a welcomed accomodation for a busy life. Sometimes its best to meet in a comfy office and enjoy a distraction free, focused hour designed just for you.
I have advanced training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and EMDR. However, I draw from an eclectic toolbox of modalities depending on your unique needs. This may include cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, applied behavior analysis, attachment based therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), existential therapy, humanistic and person centered therapy. When working with couples, I enjoy utilizing Gottman Method. I also tend to incorporate different aspects of art and music therapy when appropriate. I am committed to always providing trauma informed care.
Who I Work With
I have extensive experience working with people of all ages, backgrounds, and beliefs. I prefer to work with clients that are 14 years and older, but exceptions may be made based on the circumstances. I work with individuals, couples, and families of all kinds. I enjoy working with men, women, and transgendered individuals.
I specialize in working with people who struggle with overwhelming emotions, have serious mental illness, borderline personality disorder, and severe trauma. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I enjoy working with this population in all its colorful forms! I also enjoy working with people experiencing existential crisis and folks that are seeking meaning in their life. The “advanced age” population, or those over the age of 65, is a group I thoroughly enjoy working with.
No matter who you are or where you come from, I will approach your care with authentic unconditional positive regard, congruence, and empathy.
Experience and Expertise treating:
Trauma and PTSD
Borderline Personality Disorder
Depression
Addiction
ADHD
Anxiety
Autism
Behavioral Issues
Psychosis
Self Esteem
Sexual Abuse
Panic Disorder
Transgender
Bipolar Disorder
Chronic Illness
Chronic Pain
Coping Skills
Drug Abuse
Dual Diagnosis
Emotional Disturbance
Family Conflict
Grief
LGBTQIA+
Medical Malpractice
Insomnia
Stress
Cost and Insurance
I can currently accept the following insurance plans: Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Blueprint (CHI Health), Optum, United Healthcare, Molina Medicaid, and UHC Community.
Self Pay- $175 per session
A limited number of sliding scale spots are available for clients without insurance and lack sufficient income.
“You can know something is over and still feel like your mind and body have not gotten the message.”
EMDR Therapy
For example, a raised voice may make your stomach drop before you have time to think. A change in someone’s tone may trigger immediate fear or self-doubt. You may avoid certain memories, conversations, places, or sensations because they feel too activating. Or you may understand exactly what happened to you and still carry the fear, shame, helplessness, or sense of danger that formed at the time.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based trauma therapy designed to help the brain process experiences that continue to feel unresolved. Rather than only talking about what happened, EMDR allows us to work with the memories, beliefs, emotions, body sensations, and present-day triggers that remain connected to it.
How EMDR Works
.EMDR is built on the recognition that our brains and nervous systems are built to seek internal balance. As we go through life, our brains are constantly processing, integrating, and storing experiences as memories that exist in the context of our greater autobiographical memories.
However, when something traumatic happens, it is often too overwhelming to integrate. This leads traumatic memory to be stored inadequately or incompletely. Trauma comes with beliefs, images, feelings, and sensations that the brain hasn’t yet filed as something that happened in the past and has ended. They are instead experienced and re-experienced as ongoing elements of the present. EMDR works by targeting these elements of traumatic memory combined with the safety of the present to facilitate memory reconsolidation.
EMDR is a phase-based approach that focuses on memories and negative beliefs, especially ones that feel emotionally true even when a part of you knows they’re not.
Before jumping into reprocessing, we spend time understanding what is bringing you to therapy, identifying patterns and possible targets for reprocessing, strengthening internal safety, and making sure you feel prepared to approach trauma-related material at a manageable pace.
During reprocessing, you may briefly bring attention to a memory, image, belief, emotion, body sensation, or present-day trigger while engaging in bilateral stimulation, such as alternating eye movements, taps, or sounds. From there, you may notice thoughts, memories, emotions, sensations, or new perspectives arise. Rather than forcing a particular outcome, we track what comes up and work with what your system needs.
Over time, the memory often begins to feel less immediate and less emotionally charged, while becoming more connected to the perspective you have now. As old experiences become more fully processed, you may notice that reminders feel less intense, triggers have less power, and your reactions feel less automatic.
You may be able to remember without becoming overwhelmed, stay more connected to yourself during difficult moments, and respond to the present with more choice rather than being pulled into patterns shaped by the past.
Request a Consultation
Prior to beginning therapy, I offer a free consultation as an opportunity for us to discuss what you’re hoping to accomplish, ensure that we are an appropriate clinical fit, and answer any questions you have about the process. Most clients book their initial appointment at the end of the consultation call, however there is no obligation to do so. You are always welcome to take your time to consider the option that best fits your needs.
Consultations are usually about 20 minutes long and can occur in person, virtually using telehealth, or via telephone. My goal is to complete a consultation within 48 hours of your request.
You Have Questions, I Have Answers……
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Therapy is not a "one size fits all” service, and not every therapist is equipped and experienced to treat all issues. As a licenced therapist, part of my professional responsibility is to determine if I have the skill sets needed to help you. I am also responsible for continually investing in the expansion of my clinical skillset through trainings and study. If your area of concern is out of my scope, I will provide you with referral options.
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Therapists are responsible for ensuring they are culturally competent. Beginning in grad school, we study the differences between cultures and how they uniquely experience/navigate mental health. However, it is inevitable that we will eventually encounter a client we know nothing about. My commitment is not to be an expert in every variance of mankind, but instead identify my areas of opportunity and commit to learning. I am committed to multicultural competence and welcome the opportunity for new experiences with culture, religion, beliefs, and backgrounds. I will approach the opportunity with curiosity, respect, and positive regard.
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Therapists are required by both professional licensing and the law to maintain confidentiality. Your personal information cannot be shared. I take great care in ensuring I am the only one that has access to clinical data.
When therapists must break confidentiality:
Imminent harm to self: If a client expresses an immediate, credible intention to commit suicide or inflict severe self-harm.
Imminent harm to others: If a client makes a serious, credible threat to physically harm or kill a specific, identifiable person (known as the "duty to warn").
Suspected abuse: If a therapist suspects or has evidence of child abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect.
Vulnerable adult abuse: If a dependent, disabled, or elderly adult (typically age 65 or older) is experiencing physical, emotional, or financial abuse or neglect.
Legal compulsion: If a judge issues an official court order or subpoena requiring testimony or records in a legal proceeding.
Client consent: If the client signs a written release of information explicitly allowing the therapist to speak with specific individuals, such as a doctor or family member
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Therapy is incredibly unique to each person. If you have specific goals to work through identified challenges, a short term, intensive treatment plan may be appropriate. For example, grief counseling may utilize specific workbooks and materials designed to be completed in 6 weeks. For most people however, it is difficult to predetermine how you will respond to the treatment plan and how quickly we can work through the healing/recovery process. Your recovery journey is one of a kind.
Connect me with Jason
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