About Heather Shaughnessy-Cato
National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach
Certified Mindful Self-Compassion Teacher
MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
I am often asked what drew me to self-compassion.
Honest answer: I know self-criticism well. For a long time, whatever hard thing I was facing came with a second layer on top — how hard I was on myself about it.
Self-compassion changed that. It didn’t happen fast, but it changed how I handle things now — less second-guessing, more confidence, more willing to speak up for myself. Less people-pleasing and perfectionism, more steadiness, ease, and joy. More able to just deal with what’s actually in front of me.
It’s not a finished project. It’s a practice.
This is why I love coaching. It brings together two things I care about most: meaningful one-on-one work and self-compassion. I get to be with people as they navigate their own hard things — helping them figure out what they need, how to care for themselves in the midst of it, and how to find their way forward.
To me, that’s high standards without the harshness. You can care deeply, want things to be different, and move toward what matters — while learning to be on your own side in the process.
That’s what I want for the people I work with — to feel more at home in their own lives. To trust themselves more. To move toward what matters with more clarity, confidence, and self-respect.
Training & credentials
- National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC)
- Certified Mindful Self-Compassion Teacher
- M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, summa cum laude
- Volunteer and Contract Teacher, Center for Mindful Self-Compassion
Additional training includes:
- Corporate Coach Training Program — ICF Level 2 (in progress)
- BetterUp Coaching Foundations
- Designing Your Life Facilitator & Coach
- Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness — David Treleaven
- Mindfulness Mentor training — Banyan Together
- Contemplative Psychotherapy — Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science
- Trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness
- Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200)
My background
My path hasn’t been linear. I started in fundraising, eventually as a Director of Development, then pivoted to a master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I trained at a hospital health center and Vassar College, then spent three years as a staff therapist there.
Alongside that professional path, I’ve spent more than 15 years studying and practicing approaches that help us meet ourselves and our lives with greater awareness, compassion, and choice. That has included extensive training in yoga and mind-body practices, mindfulness, contemplative psychotherapy, self-compassion, and coaching.
Self-compassion became an especially important part of that path. I first encountered Kristin Neff’s work while at Vassar, and something clicked. I went on to train and certify as a Mindful Self-Compassion teacher, and today I continue to teach while weaving self-compassion into my coaching.
Coaching is where these different strands come together for me: the pragmatism from my nonprofit years, the depth and understanding of human behavior from my clinical training, and years of study and practice in mindfulness, self-compassion, embodiment, and coaching. It gives me a way to work with the whole person while staying focused on where they are now, what they need, and where they want to go.
A note on trauma-informed practice
I’m committed to creating spaces that prioritize safety, choice, collaboration, and respect. While I don’t provide psychotherapy or trauma treatment, I integrate trauma-informed principles into my coaching and teaching.
