Anne Reeder Heck is a Women's Empowerment Coach, Wellness Practitioner, speaker and facilitator of workshops for women and girls. Anne inspires and guides women to connect with their emotional and spiritual selves as they seek to navigate life from a place of truth and authenticity.
A survivor of a violent sexual assault at age twenty-six, Anne spent much of her adult life working to heal the trauma associated with this incident. She has come to know this experience as a blessing, and she now dedicates her professional career to helping women navigate trauma and crisis and to live life from an inspired, powerful and compassionate place.
Anne speaks openly about her rape and healing experience. When her assailant was identified through a DNA match fourteen years after the crime, Anne decided not to be a faceless victim; she shared her story with The Washington Post where it made front page news. Anne also appeared with Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America and has since taken the TEDx stage in Asheville, November 2012.
Anne graduated with honors in chemistry from Oberlin College in 1986, received her MAT from UNC-CH and became a secondary science teacher. After being raped, Anne was trained as a personal coach and as a crisis counselor. She has extensive experience in the healing arts, having received certification as a Healing Touch Practitioner and having been trained in and/or received treatment in nearly eighty different healing modalities.
Anne is a seasoned and inspirational speaker and a workshop facilitator, sharing personal stories and well-researched narrative on topics including empowerment and safety skills, forgiveness, healing through art, and incorporating intention and ceremony into your life.
Anne lives in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of NC with her husband of twenty-five years and her sweet retriever pup. She can often be found hiking area trails or cycling a stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway.