What are some special considerations that need to be made for the mental health of someone born with a cardiac condition? Why should there be a book specifically for understanding the mental and emotional development of people born with critical congenital heart conditions requiring multiple open-heart surgeries? What makes counselors, born with congenital cardiac conditions themselves, the perfect people to write such a book?

Tracy Livecchi received her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Rutgers University. She has worked in a variety of settings as a private therapist, a clinical director, as well as a consultant for long-term care in hospital settings. She has been working as a psychotherapist in private practice since 1998, and currently provides psychotherapy to individual adults, adolescents, and couples in her Westport practice. She works from an eclectic theoretical orientation and provides supportive counseling while also utilizing cognitive, behavioral, psychodynamic, and trauma-informed, mindfulness approaches, when appropriate. She is the Mental Health Consultant for the Adult Congenital Heart Association’s Peer Mentorship Program and speaks nationwide on the importance of addressing the psychosocial effects of heart disease. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and two daughters. Recently, she teamed up with Liza Morton, another adult with a congenital heart condition. They have combined their experiences, knowledge, and efforts to write a book “Healing Hearts and Minds: A Guide to Coping Well With Congenital Heart Disease (CHD).” Links mentioned in this episode:

Tracy's other Heart to Heart with Anna appearance "Seizing the Day with Tracy Livecchi!" https://www.buzzsprout.com/62761/398951

Link to Tracy and Liza's book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Hearts-Minds-Holistic-Congenital/dp/0197657281#detailBullets_feature_div,

@tracylivecchi (Instagram and twitter)
Tracy Livecchi, LCSW (Facebook)
www.tracylivecchi.com

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