About Heartwell Therapy | Serving Lancaster & Lehigh Valley

A Private Mental Health Practice

About Us

Specialized Therapy Service

Heartwell Therapy Focuses Solely on Couples, Relationships, and Families

Heartwell Therapy strives to help strengthen couples, relationships, and families in Pennsylvania. We are a 100% self-pay practice, allowing for more flexible treatment plans and greater client confidentiality. Our clients seek specialized therapy services without the constraints of insurance networks. Clients pay at the time of service.

Email Scheduling

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Ways Therapy Can Help

About Us

With Relating

Receive support to reduce relational, intimacy, or communication difficulties.

With Issues

Get help navigating conflicts, trauma, life transitions, or mental health issues.

With Stress

Learn coping skills for caregiver stress, work-life balance, trauma, or chronic illness.

Heartwell Therapy, LLC

Staff

All
Administration
Leadership
Therapists

Alison Pidgeon, LPC

Chief Executive Officer & Owner

Alison Pidgeon, LPC

Chief Executive Officer & Owner

I bring my passion for accessible, high-quality mental health care to Heartwell Therapy, where I focus on providing specialized couples and family therapy services through a streamlined self-pay model. With a Master's in Counseling Psychology from Immaculata University and my LPC credential earned in 2009, I combine clinical expertise with innovative leadership to create client-centered therapeutic experiences.

As a visionary business leader and founder and CEO of Move Forward Counseling since 2015, I understand how to build practices that enable therapists to do their best work while maintaining exceptional care standards. My commitment to creating supportive environments for both clinicians and clients drives my approach to practice development, including designing payment structures that prioritize therapeutic excellence over insurance complexities. Today, Move Forward Counseling is PA’s leading mental health practice with over 65 licensed therapists across eight locations.

Valerie McNicholl, LCSW

Chief Operating Officer

Valerie McNicholl, LCSW

Chief Operating Officer

I’ve been licensed and working in mental health since 2002 and have been supervising and managing clinical staff and programs since 2005. I graduated with my Bachelors of Social Work (BSW) from Syracuse University and with a Masters of Social Work (MSW) from SUNY Albany. I am originally from New York, but have been in PA since 2013. Most of my professional career has been working with people struggling with addiction, but I have also worked with people with serious mental illness, developmental disabilities, other mental health issues, and general life stressors.

I strongly believe in the resilience of people and their ability to grow from difficult situations. I have seen people recover in many ways and believe that every person, couple, and family has their own unique path to healing. I feel extreme gratitude to be able to support therapists who directly help people make positive changes in their lives.

When I am not working, I enjoy cooking, reading and spending time with family and friends, including my dogs, Hugo and Addie and my cat, Charlie.

Charlotte Leckow

Chief Marketing Officer

Charlotte Leckow

Chief Marketing Officer

With the support of an amazing administrative team and other highly capable leadership, I have the pleasure of promoting our high-quality, outpatient mental health services to Pennsylvanians, supported by procedures, culture, and processes that benefit our professional clinicians across the state.

I lead Heartwell Therapy's marketing, business development, event planning, website administration, digital marketing, social media management, brand awareness/materials, community engagement, and online & written communications across Pennsylvania.

If you are interested in meeting virtually with us to learn more or exchange information for a stronger referral relationship, please send me an email.

#heartwellpa #heartwelltherapy

Brittany Leffler, LCSW

Therapist & Clinical Supervisor

Brittany Leffler, LCSW

Therapist & Clinical Supervisor

Hello, I’m Brittany (she/her). I am passionate about helping the families, couples, and partners I work with find joy, connection, healing, and peace through the therapeutic process. I help my clients move away from blame and shame to examine the root causes of pain and trauma, gain insight into unhelpful patterns, and find alternative, adaptive responses to their problems that create true safety and wholeness. I recognize that power imbalances & privilege can be barriers to individual, relational, and community wellness, so I take an anti-oppression approach in my work.

I am also Heartwell Therapy's Clinical Supervisor, where I use my extensive experience guiding teams of therapists to deliver compassionate, evidence-based care that promotes relational healing and fosters ongoing professional growth. Grounded in a systemic, trauma-informed, and culturally attuned framework, my supervisory approach is rooted in collaboration, curiosity, and a deep respect for both clients and clinicians.

View my full biography, which includes my full list of specialties, techniques, and how I can help you reach your relationship goals.

To schedule an appointment, speak with a scheduler, or request a free 15-minute consultation session to help you decide if I'm a good match for your therapy needs, email or call us.

Cecilia Wishneski, LAPC

Therapist

Cecilia Wishneski, LAPC

Therapist

Hello! I’m Cecilia (she/her). I work exclusively with couples at every stage of their relationship—whether you’re dating, engaged, newly married, or navigating decades of partnership. Couples often come to me to strengthen their communication, rebuild trust, process attachment wounds, or navigate major life transitions, such as parenthood, relocation, or separation. Together, we may work through your unique relationship challenges.

My approach to couples therapy is warm, collaborative, and rooted in safety and trust. I see my role as helping both partners better understand themselves and each other, creating space for honest conversation and meaningful change. Couples counseling can feel vulnerable, and I strive to balance empathy with structure so that both partners feel heard, supported, and guided toward growth.

View my full biography, which includes my full list of specialties, techniques, and how I can help you reach your relationship goals.

To schedule an appointment, speak with a scheduler, or request a free 15-minute consultation session to help you decide if I'm a good match for your therapy needs, email or call us.

Margaret Roberts, LPC

Therapist

Margaret Roberts, LPC

Therapist

Hi, I’m Margaret (she/her), and I have extensive experience working with couples and families, helping them navigate relationship challenges, family dynamics, and life transitions. I began my career supporting individuals and families who were uninsured or underinsured, focusing on fostering resilience, highlighting cultural strengths, and promoting healing and growth. My work emphasizes understanding how each person’s experiences intersect within the family system and how those patterns influence relationships.

I believe that everyone’s experiences and feelings are valid, and I approach therapy with acceptance, compassion, and a touch of humor. I help clients improve communication, set healthy boundaries, and strengthen cohesion in their relationships. I work collaboratively to explore past experiences, present challenges, and how clients want to move forward, fostering personal growth, self-acceptance, and stronger connections with others and themselves.

Gottman Referral Network

I completed Gottman Couples Therapy (Level 2). View my GRM profile.

View my full biography, which includes my full list of specialties, techniques, and how I can help you reach your relationship goals.

If you would like to schedule an appointment, speak with a scheduler, or request a free 15-minute consultation session to help you decide if I'm a good match for your therapy needs, email or call us.

Natassia Levine

Administrative Assistant

Natassia Levine

Administrative Assistant

Hello! My name is Natassia, and I am an Administrative Assistant at Heartwell Therapy. I have over 15 years of experience in Administrative Support and Customer Service, and I find it deeply rewarding to schedule couples and families with the therapist who best suits their needs here at Heartwell. I am currently pursuing my Bachelor's degree in Psychology and enjoy reading, yoga, hiking, and photography in my free time.

Call or email if you would like to discuss our therapy team or to schedule an appointment.

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Where Our Services Are Offered in PA

Locations

In-person sessions are available at two therapy offices and online from anywhere in Pennsylvania. Heartwell Therapy is planning to open additional therapy offices in 2026.

Lancaster Downtown

Lancaster Downtown Office
226 N Arch Street Lancaster, PA 17603

Lehigh Valley

Lehigh Valley Office
100 Keystone Ave, Suite 1 Emmaus, PA 18049

Online Sessions Across Pennsylvania

Our History

Therapy Offered By Experienced Clinicians & Leadership

Heartwell Therapy, LLC, was launched in 2025 as a partner practice to Move Forward Counseling, LLC, to provide mental health counseling focused exclusively on the needs of couples and families in Pennsylvania.

To reach Heartwell’s business development, community engagement, and marketing, email Charlotte Leckow, Chief Marketing Officer.

Rates and Info