About

Welcome! My name is Amanda and I am a licensed professional counselor in the state of Virginia. I have had over 9 years experience working in the mental health field. I have worked in a variety of settings including residential, inpatient, outpatient, and in-home. Although that seems like a mouthful, it simply means that I have had experience working with a broad range and severity of clinical issues. I have the most experience working with family/relationship conflicts, life transitions, and crisis intervention. I've worked with individuals experiencing a wide array of issues including depression, intellectual/developmental disabilities, autism, bipolar disorder, and psychosis. I've worked with individuals of all ages, with the majority of my experience related to serving adolescents and young adults (12-30).

My interest in the field of mental health stems from my personal experience with it. I was at Virginia Tech when that community experienced a mass shooting. That situation exposed me to grief/loss as a part of a community, and led me to decide that I wanted to work with individuals who may be experiencing distressing symptoms from mental health. I have personally overcome mental health challenges, such as post-partum depression as well. I know firsthand that getting help can be a challenge, and that admitting you need help is a difficult pill to swallow sometimes. There is so much stigma around having mental health issues, so taking the first step to getting help is an amazing step to have taken in order to maintain your own wellness.

I use a person-centered and integrative approach in treatment. This means I begin where you are and tailor the treatment approach to your needs. I primarily use evidence based techniques including cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and solution-focused counseling. I have found success using traumatic incident reduction (TIR) with individuals who have been exposed to traumatic experiences through their work in the military or as police. I continue to use TIR with women who have had a traumatic birth or loss of a child. I do incorporate more classical approaches to counseling as well when appropriate, to include a family-systems approach.

I would describe my style as supportive and empathic, and I am ready to help you succeed in accomplishing your wellness goals.