Horrible. Lacks understanding of complex traumas and people skills needed for this type of care. If you value yourself, your friends or your family in any capacity you should do every a favor and stay far away from this woman. Her reviews are fake and repeat across various platforms, her methods have no basis, and her care is a waste of time and effort. read more

Dr. Heather Zak is and will remain one of my favorite people on this planet. She was recommended by plaintiff mothers' attorney during litigation in August 2015. Thankfully the local dis-honorable judge laura baird in my district knew that as well. Unfortunately Dr. Zak has received negative attention, which is precisely why she was recommended by plaintiff mothers' attorney. That's how the game works in Ingham County. The very first rule Dr. Zak implores before treating families from FoC cases is BOTH PARENTS STAY. Long, sad, and tragic story short...Dr. Zak did everything within her power to reconcile our family after nine years of volatile divorce proceedings. She can read between the lines, filter through the bullchit, and still focus ON THE CHILD(REN). I will be forever thankful to the effort Dr. Zak gave in trying to heal my relationship with my child after a decade of parental alienation. She was the first person from that system to actually look at my child as more important than decades-old bitter feelings. Dr. Zak is not afraid to look at a female/mother as the reason for family breakdowns. Dr. Zak (during the time mother "participated") gave me five more months with my child that I will cherish forever. Again though, there is a caveat. While the Ingham county referees like her, ultimately the judge(s?) do not. Likely if she is "recommended" for FoC services, it's a booby trap. I would trust her with my life. That's my final opinion. If you want what Dr. Zak has to offer, be prepared to walk in open and honest about moving forward. If not, she will see right through it in very short time. read more

Reflecting back on the last 3-4 years that my teenage stepson has been working with Dr. Heather Zak, his quality of life and coping skills in the face of conflict and adversity have GREATLY IMPROVED, while his anxiety has greatly diminished. His achievements are piling up, and with every one his self-confidence takes a step up. Just what you want to see out of a young man! Originally court-ordered as the result of a very hostile divorce (at least by one party whose rant is found elsewhere on this page), we met Dr. Zak. She treated all parties involved with respect and integrity. Faced with deception and lack of cooperation by one parent, she persisted to identify the real truth of the situation. This was incredibly refreshing and a big change from many social workers and medical professionals who operate under the "ding" theory. (Every parent has "dings" and so everyone's word must be taken at face value.) Dr. Zak showed true caring for our son by digging into the truth and being a neutral rock in which he could confide over the months and years. With nearly weekly visits to Dr. Zak, our son has been able to leave unnecessary special education; stop unneeded ADHD med; move to As and Bs and admittance to the National Honor Society; obtain a driver license; complete his Eagle Scout rank and a fantastic community service project; get his first job; and gain admittance to a four-year university. All despite an immense and venemous attempt at parental alienation by the uncooperative parent. Of course, we parents have worked hard to make this happen! But without Dr. Zak's steady presence in helping him sort through his conflicting feelings and loyalties, he would not be nearly so far along in taking responsibility for his choices and thereby taking control of his own life. We give her our highest recommendation and encourage other divorcing families to allow Dr. Zak to work with their children. read more

Heather Zak damaged my family. We were referred to her by someone who knew her husband's family which was a mistake. Zak's advice was horrible and my daughter's behavior went from bad to worse in just a matter of months. My husband and I discovered that Zak was encouraging my daughter's disrespectful behavior and we terminated her. Fortunately we are now seeing a great therapist so I am hopeful that we can recover as my daughter's behavior is starting to turn around. I suspect any positive comments about Zak on Yelp are "planted" reviewers as I found out much later from several reputable therapists that she has a horrible reputation. read more

Dr. Zak takes on very difficult cases that can often cause controversies. Susan D's review on Heather is simply not true. Dr. Zak does an excellent job trying to work with families to keep them together and promote the best environment for the children under her care. Dr. Zak is very professional and effective at understanding the underlying dynamics of any situation and getting to the heart of the issues. I am very grateful for her help! read more