“We have defined healing as something going away. Instead, healing is the ability to attend to whatever is hurting, to turn toward where the injuries are and patiently, with courage and clarity, let them be loved, and eventually to love them ourselves.”

Dr. Hillary McBride

About Amber and Important FAQs

As a fellow human:

I live in a life turned upside-down, inside-out and backwards as a trauma survivor (abandonment, relational, religious, and sexual trauma) and an advanced stage cancer survivor.

I grieve. Deeply. And I live in the both/and. My grief and trauma have made me both soft and hard. Both kind and fierce. Both chill and wild.

I live changed because of what changes me.

I'm living in a ‘me’ that has always been but is now also radically different. 

And because of what I've seen and endured, I am passionate about companioning others through their upside-down, inside-out, backwards life-changing experiences.

As a counselor and coach:

All of the things that make me human…AND:

I am firmly rooted in the concept of being responsible to others and not for them. This allows me to hold space free of judgement and full of curiosity and compassion.

I believe in the power of kindness, not niceness. Kindness means that I am willing to challenge my clients through gentleness and directness. Being ‘nice’ can be enabling to the very thing we are trying to work on.

I am constantly learning. I engage in professional development and work to stay current and relevant. I also believe my clients can teach me so much, so I come ready to be changed by them as much as I can provide expertise for them to change, too.

  • Who in the world am I? Ah, that is the great puzzle.

    Alice
    (Lewis Carroll Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass)

  • I used to think healing meant forgetting, but now I know it means remembering without drowning, revisiting the ruins without needing to rebuild them, walking past the wreckage and still choosing to plant something beautiful where the fire once was.

    r.m. drake

  • Sometimes the "either/or" feels easier. More stable. More predictable. But, there is a whole other world in the "both/and." Two things can be true at the same time. And there is a lot of grace there.

    -Amber

  • Empathy isn't actually about walking in someone else's shoes. It's not even about taking their shoes from them. It is about asking them how they feel in their own shoes and then putting on a pair of your own that feel similar. Empathy is a sacred gift.

    -Amber

 FAQs

  • I use a person-centered, multi-dimensional, trauma-informed, non-shaming, immediacy-guided approach to offer the best care for each individual client. I always consider the “whole-ness” of each person - their backgrounds, needs, and goals in addition to their biological, psychological, emotional, relational, and spiritual development in my care for and of them.

    You can read in detail on my Services page what my specialties and modalities are.
    Specialties:
    Grief, Trauma, Identity, Anxiety, Counseling After Abortion, Therapy for therapists
    Modalities:
    Person-centered, Somatic/body-based and neuroscience centered, Narrative/Schema/Story Work, Grief therapy, and Brainspotting

  • Yes!

    Diversity: I welcome all body sizes, abilities, races, ethnicities, sexualities, genders, and spirituality practices. I have specific experience with each of these areas as well.

    Confidentiality: What said in sessions is held as privileged and protected health information. I protect the privacy of all of my clients. The only times I have to break confidentiality is for reportable child abuse, imminent threats to self and others, and current gun laws require me to alert authorities if you own guns, don’t store them appropriately, and are a threat to mass safety.
    *My Telehealth platform is HIPAA compliant and sessions are never recorded.

    Boundaries: This is absolutely all about you and us working together towards your goals, desires, and wellness. In that, research shows that healing comes in healthy human connecting so I believe in the use of counselors’ (very) limited self-disclosure — parts of their stories that relate to, connect with, or offer learned insights/perspectives. It makes this work feel rich and collaborative through shared vulnerability and trust.
    It is also important to note that being trauma-informed means that there are important ways to navigate trauma story and it doesn’t always mean that re-telling the trauma is required to heal from it.

  • I have a BS in Psychology, an MA in Counseling from Liberty*, an LPC awarded via the Center for Credentialing and Education and the Department of Regulatory Agencies of Colorado, a BCC awarded by the Center for Credentialing and Education and the Institute for Life Coach Training.

    I have been in clinically supervised mental health practice since 2012.

    LPC.0019520
    BCC 4617

    *While I was educated from a faith-based institution, life has taught me where I align and where I don't. You can be confident that the counseling you receive from me will never have religious bias or judgement as I will not perpetuate or participate in religious abuse.

  • This is a multi-layered question/answer…but the short answer is:

    • Private pay - $120/hour session

    • Pay-What-You-Can (PWYC) - A rate determined by you, no questions asked, no proof of income required, no judgements.
      *NOTE: Limited spots for PWYC services.

    • I want mental health care to be accessible, affordable, and sustainable without the requirement of having insurance.


    Here’s a little more info regarding insurance and mental health care:

    1. Insurance can make healthcare really accessible. While at the same time it can create some barriers of affordability and accessibility.

    2. When billing insurance, a diagnosis of “medical necessity” is required. Some people do better with a diagnosis. Some people prefer not to go that route.

    3. Insurance companies have some access to protected health information since they are the payers for services. Some people don’t mind that. Others would prefer to avoid it.

    4. Insurance can make a way for someone to get the unique care they need. It can also require limitations and determinations that don’t allow care to be individualized.

    5. And also, insurance isn’t available to everyone.

  • Services are provided via Telehealth using Doxy.me which is a HIPAA compliant virtual platform created specifically for medial and mental health professionals.

    You will get a link to my virtual room once we schedule a consultation/session. All you need is to be in your own fully confidential space, have a device with a browser and stable internet connection, and not be driving.
    *No app downloads required.

    In person sessions are available. We can discuss details during a consultation.

    Hybrid in person and Telehealth is also an option.

  • Not necessarily but let me explain:

    As far as frequency goes, I find at the start of a counseling/coaching relationship, once a week is a pretty standard practice. At some point, depending on the client and what we’re working on, session frequency may change to every other week or monthly.

    As for duration of therapy, there are seasons of counseling and there are seasons of not. We will work on a ‘counseling roadmap’ of sorts to maintain some loose structure and work toward a time when it feels right to end a season of counseling.
    *You are always welcome back if a new season is needed!