Dr. Andrea Deerheart is the passionate founder of The HeartWay. She has gathered knowledge and wisdom from decades of guiding many people of all ages through the inevitable trials and tribulations surrounding life and death, supporting them physically, spiritually, and psychologically.
Her work and teaching encompasses issues related to optimal wellness of mind and body – death and dying – grief and loss, and compassionate, mindful and supportive care.
Andrea lovingly shares the rare and precious gifts she has gleaned from her many teachers, most especially the hundreds who have allowed her to accompany them through the vulnerable and sacred time of their final suffering and death.
Beyond all of this, she offers diverse programs that emphasize the inspiration, relevance, and comfort from the myriad lessons Andrea has learned from Embracing Life & Honoring Death.
Dr. Deerheart has a very diverse educational background, beginning at San Diego State where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and Sociology. After several years in the field of marketing development, her studies took a dramatic shift when Andrea became a Hospice volunteer. She continued to enhance her expertise by serving as a Hospice Social Worker, end-of-life guide (death doula), care manager, and grief counselor, providing much-needed support to many people facing the hard challenges of life’s major transitions.
She received her Doctorate from Pacifica Graduate Institute, where her studies focused upon mythology, depth psychology, comparative religions, and death, dying and beyond.
Dr. Deerheart also has more than twenty-five years of experience in the fields of nutrition, health, wellness, and body mechanics, which she continues to teach at Saddleback College. These skills and experience are the foundations for The HeartWay.
