Our Young Adult Transitions program is designed for individuals ages 17 to 29.
Lacey Heinzelman, LMFT, LCMHC, is the Clinical Director at Engage Young Adult Transitions, a young adult transition program in Cedar City, Utah. She has worked in mental health since 2010 and has spent her career supporting adolescents, young adults, and families across outpatient, residential treatment, wilderness therapy, and young adult transition settings. Lacey has served in clinical leadership roles at multiple programs and has been part of Engage since its opening in 2022.
Lacey earned her Master of Marriage and Family Therapy from Abilene Christian University in 2012. Her primary clinical areas of focus include emerging personality disorders, attachment and relational patterns, trauma, anxiety, and the developmental challenges of emerging adulthood.
Her work with young adults frequently addresses identity development, individuation from family, relationships, purpose, executive functioning challenges, shame, attachment wounds, and the development of greater confidence and independence. She is particularly interested in helping young adults translate insight gained in therapy into meaningful changes in relationships, work, education, decision-making, and everyday life.
Lacey’s clinical approach is grounded in family systems, relational, experiential, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and strengths-based perspectives. She also has specialized training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), advanced Brainspotting, and attachment theory. Her therapeutic style is warm, direct, even-keeled, and straightforward. She places a high value on the therapeutic relationship and is willing to have difficult conversations while remaining patient and curious about each young adult’s experience.
Lacey believes emerging adulthood requires opportunities to develop self-trust, make decisions, experience consequences, and learn from mistakes without becoming overwhelmed by shame. Rather than making decisions for young adults, she helps them examine their options, consider potential consequences, and navigate the outcomes of their choices. Her goal is to balance meaningful support and accountability while helping young adults develop greater confidence in their ability to manage adulthood.
At Engage, Lacey values the opportunity to extend young adult therapy beyond the traditional office. Within a therapeutic community, relationships, education, employment, community involvement, and everyday challenges become opportunities to practice new skills and better understand patterns, values, motivations, and goals. Young adults can apply what they are learning in therapy while still having access to clinical guidance, mentorship, and support.
As Clinical Director, Lacey supervises therapists, leads the treatment team, oversees clinical programming and quality of care, supports families, contributes to program development, and provides clinical training to Engage team members. Her leadership emphasizes clinically informed care that supports both mental health and the developmental work of emerging adulthood.
Outside of work, Lacey enjoys live music, spending time with her family, and cheering for the Green Bay Packers.
