Heike Vargas is a former (divorced) spouse of an active duty Army service member who is now a veteran. She is also a foreign-born military/veteran spouse from East Germany and was raised by German WWI and WWII survivors and veterans. Her marriage of nearly 21 years spanned both the pre and post 9/11 service eras, during which she was part of her former husband’s active-duty service and his transition out of the military. Heike and her former husband have a young adult daughter, and she currently resides in Colorado with her. Her journey through military and veteran life, a lengthy separation and divorce, and a decade of co-parenting across 2 states gives Heike the lived experience and passion to support others going through their own unique and individual challenges in life.
As a Peer Leader with VSN for 3 years, Heike facilitates support groups and individual sessions for spouses, partners, and caregivers who are looking for resources, support, and connection. She offers guidance to those navigating a variety of life challenges, with experience supporting individuals preparing for, going through, or healing after separation and divorce. Heike draws from her own experience with nervous system regulation and mental health in connection with trauma, PTSD/CPTSD/secondary PTSD, moral injury, domestic violence, intergenerational family patterns, substance use, parenting and caregiving.
Heike’s experience of falling through the cracks within existing support systems strengthened her fundamental “no one left behind” belief and grew her need for community, compassion and empathetic support. Creating accessible entry points for the military-connected community to connect with applicable resources–as well as providing a safe place for their nervous systems to rest and reset–is most important to Heike. When Heike is not coaching, she enjoys supporting her daughter’s artistic and musical journey alongside other young and seasoned musicians in Colorado. Along with art, music and sound, Heike’s connection to animals and nature allows for much needed grounding, balancing and healing along her way.
Heike’s background in trauma-informed Gestalt Coaching, somatic based art therapy, creative experiential techniques, suicide prevention training, and her experience as a former first responder–combined with her lived experience–provide a strong foundation for connecting and walking with participants as they move from struggle to self-empowerment. She often finds that a participant sharing their story is where discovery and healing begin. Heike believes that we often have the answers to our questions already within ourselves; sometimes it just takes someone to listen and walk with us through life’s challenges, so we can find ourselves again. While Heike’s background enhances her ability to guide others, her role at VSN is first and foremost as a peer, offering heartfelt connection and shared experiences.