Biography

Andre Heuer D.Min., LICSW grew up in a culturally diverse medium-sized city in Pennsylvania with first to third generation Americans. At neighborhood gatherings, weddings, funerals and church events and at his grandmother's kitchen table he listened to the stories of humor, sadness, and the everyday. As he grew he watched his mother support her neighbors as they faced hard times and he observed his father give a helping hand to his neighbors when needed. These two experiences created for Dr. Heuer an appreciation of the power of stories to build community, to heal and to form identity and a moral responsibility to reach out to one's neighbor when they are in need. The love of story and his parent's example became the inspiration for his choice of profession and to obtain a license as an Independent Clinical Social Worker in July of 1991. In addition Dr. Heuer's father cultivated in him an appreciation of the importance of spiritual practice. He taught Dr. Heuer to sit quietly in prayer and instructed him to "Look within" and would tell him "All you need is there." This experience began a life long exploration of both western and eastern spirituality including time spent in Thailand observing Buddhist practice. These life experiences led Dr. Heuer to the obtain two masters including one in pastoral psychology and a doctorate focused on psychology, spirituality and the use of personal narrative as a research methodology.

Dr. Heuer's experience in providing mental health services spans thirty-two years. His work in the United States includes working within counseling clinics, pastoral settings, corrections, employee assistance programs and a crisis center; and in Liberia and Thailand with organizations dealing with torture trauma. His academic education and additional training in imagery, narrative and psychomotor therapeutic methods laid a solid foundation for his counseling and his experience in the arts especially in storytelling adds a creative dimension to his counseling skills.

Dr. Heuer has provided trainings for mental and medical health practitioners on a variety of mental health topics including on the use of story to foster healing. These session include trainings for NASW-MN, St. John's Stroke Center, Missouri; The Anchorage Native Medical Center, Alaska; Center for Victims of Torture, Minnesota and Liberia; and SalusWorld, Thailand; Hospice of Immanuel St. Joseph's, Minnesota; Owatonna Area Home Care & Hospice; and Fraser Child and Family Center, Minnesota. He has presented conference workshops for the University of Wisconsin Festival of Expressive Arts Therapy, International Correction Education Association, Family Therapy Network, American Imagery Institute, and the Genetic Alliance. For eight years he provided supervision for volunteers, students and interns within a crisis center and is qualified to supervise social workers and certified to supervise Professional Counselors and Professional Clinical Counselor for licensing in Minnesota.

Dr. Heuer has presented workshops for amateur and professional tellers on the art and craft of storytelling for the National Storytelling Network, Northlands Storytelling Network, Northstar Storytelling League and the Healing Story Alliance. He has also taught at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. He is a former board member of the Healing Storytelling Alliance and a founder of Northstar Storytelling League.

Dr. Heuer teaches a spirituality series The Gentle Way at Pathways, a center for those in health crisis. He has provided spiritual companioning for individuals on the spiritual journey. For three years he facilitated a men's spirituality series at the Cenacle Retreat Center in Wayzata, Minnesota and seven years he facilitated a contemplative prayer group within a church community. His writings on healing and spirituality include an article on spiritual companioning for The Journal of Spiritual Directors International.