About

Harper West, MA, MLP, is pleased to work with adults, children, families and couples. She specializes in helping individuals improve compassionate self-acceptance, strengthen self-worth, develop mindfulness, and manage feelings of inadequacy that underlie relationship issues, child/teen behavioral problems, anxiety and depression. Harper was a member of the first cohort of the seven-month Self-Compassion in Psychotherapy (SCIP) certificate program. She completed Mindful Self-Compassion core skills training with MSC founders Kristen Neff, PhD, and Christopher Germer, PhD; trained in transcendental meditation in 1978; and teaches MSC workshops. She is also trained in Compassion-Focused Therapy. Harper has completed two levels of advanced training in Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFCT). Her work is attachment- and trauma-informed. For families, she specializes in correcting child and teen behavioral problems by focusing on creating a stronger emotional bond between parent and child, using attachment-based parenting techniques. Harper is an advocate of de-pathologizing emotional problems based on the lack of scientific evidence for the "chemical imbalance" cause of "mental illness." Use of psychiatric medications is often more harmful than helpful, and causes damage to the brain, so she offers resources for those looking to make informed choices about medication use, on withdrawal options, and understanding the false narratives put forth by corporations. Harper graduated from Michigan State University and earned a master’s degree in clinical psychology from the Michigan School of Professional Psychology following a career in corporate marketing communications.