Heidi von Harscher joined HWCOM as the founding Director of Counseling and Wellness in the Office of Student Affairs and subsequently was that founding Director of Medical Student Support Services and participated in the development of Wellness programming. Currently she is the Assistant Dean for the office of Women in Medicine and Science, and she is the student Ombudsperson. She serves as the faculty advisor for the AMWA (American Medical Women’s Association) and WHOLE (Wellness, Health, Outreach, Love and Expression). She also oversees SPEC (Student Professionalism and Ethics Committee).
A clinical (neuro)psychologist by training, she is an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health. Her research interests include burnout, empathy, resilience, passion fatigue, and psychological wellness.
Besides her participation in the development of HWCOM, her pioneering contributions include developing a neuropsychological testing program, an APA accredited pre-doctoral internship program, and administering a psychological services center for the students at the Biscayne Bay Campus. She has held faculty appointments with the College of Public Health, the Psychology Department, and the College of Education at various universities. She holds Certifications and Diplomates in pharmacopsychology, severe mental illness, neuro-biofeedback and mindfulness.
She is consulted nationally on the development of Ombuds and Wellness programs within medical schools.
research interests
Her publications and research interests include empathy, burnout, (neuro)psychology, spirituality, mindfulness, resiliency, passion fatigue, humor, humility, and working with gifted.