We had the good fortune of connecting with Rebecca Heller and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rebecca, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
There is a mental health crisis going on around the world that is particularly affecting our youth. As the Director of Student Wellness at Viewpoint School, an independent TK-12 school in Calabasas, I think about the immense pressures that our students are under. In fact, students from high achieving schools, like the school where I work, are now considered “at risk” due to the intense stressors in their lives. Students from schools with rich offerings, extracurriculars, and a large college-going culture have gone on to be academically successful in college but do not always thrive socially and emotionally. In my role, I work with others on campus to think about how to support students with a preventative approach that focuses on their mental health and well-being so they can flourish in school and beyond.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am passionate about health and wellness, and taking care of mind and body. I have worked at Viewpoint School since 2010. For the first ten years I was one of the college counselors, helping students choose academic classes and apply to college. During that time I saw the rise of anxiety and depression among our students. This was not something unique to my school, mental health issues were increasing around the country and affecting students at high achieving schools, like the one where I worked, due to the intense pressures the students are under. Colleges are overwhelmed with the number of students seeking mental health support. I knew we had to be proactive and more explicitly teach students coping skills and tools that they can use to support their personal well-being. Our head and assistant head of school saw this need as well, and we co-created the Director of Student Wellness role to integrate and align programming between the different grade-level divisions. As someone who holds a master’s in School Counseling and is a certified yoga instructor, I hope to share with students comprehensive education about their mental and physical health along with healthy coping skills and self-care techniques. I am currently working towards obtaining my doctorate in education in Leadership and Innovation from Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College and am focusing my dissertation research on mindfulness as a coping skill to help ease life’s stressors. I am passionate about putting tools in student’s hands so that they can take charge of their own personal well-being.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love Los Angeles and all of the outdoor experiences it has to offer. Nature and awe can improve our moods and increase our happiness. Here are places around the city I find little slices of joy.

Malibu State Creek Park (Mulholland and Las Virgenes) is a great hike for all levels in the beautiful Santa Monica Mountains.

The Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine in the Palisades is another beautiful manicured park perfect for quiet and meditation. It is free to visit, but you must make a reservation.

Westwards Beach in Malibu is a quintessential SoCal beach with beautiful light sand and sparkling blue water. Be careful as the surf here can be a bit rough. You can also finish the day with a cocktail or mocktail from The Sunset Restaurant.

Not outdoors, but equally awe-inspiring is The Broad contemporary art museum. Do not miss Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Room. Admission is free, but you must make reservations to visit the Infinity Mirror Room–tickets are released on the last Wednesday of every month.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to shoutout my husband, Thomas, who makes me laugh and holds the whole thing together; my mother, for teaching me to be kind; my dad, for teaching me to be ambitious; and my daughter Lucy, for teaching me what it means to love unconditionally. And a special shout out to my surf friends who let me steal their waves.

Website: https://www.viewpoint.org/beyond-the-classroom/wellness

Instagram: @viewpointschool & @viewpointwellness

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-heller-24645454/

Image Credits
William Youngblood; Josh Kimball

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