Hey there! I'm Amanda McKinney, and my real passion is helping people like you on their journey to well-being. My journey started back in 2015 when I earned my Masters of Science in Social Administration from Case Western Reserve University. Ever since then, I've been lucky enough to work with a diverse range of individuals from all walks of life. I'm a firm believer in tailoring our therapeutic journey to your unique needs. Your goals are at the center of our work, and I'm here to support your self-determined path to well-being. Your right to make choices about your own life is incredibly important to me, and I'm here to empower you every step of the way. As a therapist, I'm committed to lifelong learning. Staying up-to-date with evidence-based practices is crucial for me because it means I can provide you with the best possible therapeutic support. Over the years, I've explored and practiced various methods, all to better serve clients with different experiences and challenges. My go-to approach is Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). It's mindfulness-based and helps folks like you identify triggers in your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Then, together, we'll work on more effective ways for you to manage your responses to those triggers. Outside of our therapy sessions I love traveling, playing tennis, getting lost in True Crime podcasts, and having a blast with card and board games. Most importantly, I cherish the time I spend with my beloved cat and dog—they're my little sources of comfort and joy.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
In our first session we will discuss a basic overview of the assessment process, your legal rights and responsibilities as a client, and my mandated reporter status. Then we will go through the assessment and discuss your past, your present (what's currently going on), and your goals for the future.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I feel that my biggest strength is my ability to connect with multiple populations and to pull from my education and personal experiences to explain and highlight effective utilization of skills across settings. I heavily lean into validation and mindfulness to assist with ensuring sessions are present-focused. I frequently lean into humor when appropriate and prefer a conversation/relationship-building style session to reduce any anxieties that may interfere with the therapeutic process.
About Amanda McKinney
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VirtualMy treatment methods
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
I truly believe being mindful is the first step to healing. To assist clients with finding themselves in the present moment, I frequently will use breathwork, present minded activities, and psychoeducation about mindfulness.
Strength-Based
Each person I work with has unique qualities and strengths. By helping the client identify those strengths and how best to utilize them in treatment, I find that therapy can be a much smoother and productive journey.
Psychoeducation
I use psychoeducation in every session to give clients a clear explanation about what techniques I am using and why I have chosen them.
Motivational Interviewing
I use motivational interviewing to assist clients with identifying where they want their therapeutic journey to lead and help us identify where they are on that therapeutic journey.
Daialectical Behavior (DBT)
I am a certified DBT therapist. This modality offers a mindful based approach to therapy and provides clients with real life skills to assist with reducing unwanted behaviors and increasing self-awareness of short term and long term values.