Heather Mishel Williams is an 18-year Philadelphian transplant and teaches as an Assistant Adjunct Professor in the College of Education and Human Development at her Alma Mater, Temple University. While attending Temple University (2004-2009), pursuing an Elementary Education/Special Education degree, she worked with and ran a college preparatory program for the non-profit agency IDAAY, Inc. In 2014 she earned a Master’s in Education/Leadership with a Principal’s Certificate from Cabrini College. 

Her area of expertise is special education, specifically autism spectrum disorder, emotional disturbance, literacy, curriculum development, and program coordination. Throughout her career, her work has focused on supporting the needs of youth, families, and communities that experience high susceptibility to generational trauma due to crime, poverty, and abuse. She has worked with non-profit organizations such as The Jahri Evans Foundation, Audible for Autism, and GrassRoots Community Foundation. She was also a featured speaker at the 2018 IIRP World Restorative Practices Conference.

Little Z and Firefly, A Journey to Finding Light and Love and The Work, An Interactive Mental Health Guide are Mishel’s first books. She is a fierce advocate for mental health and self-care for adults and children. She believes that the earlier wellness tools are taught to children, the likelihood of them growing into healthy adults increases. When she is not writing, she enjoys creating art, cooking, fashion, and her ever-so-happy dog, Charlie.