AMJ Alabún'mí A.M. Jones, LCSW - Therapist at Grow Therapy

AMJ Alabún'mí A.M. Jones

AMJ Alabún'mí A.M. Jones

(they/them)

LCSW
10 years of experience
Virtual

As an ABOLITIONIST, I believe in *literally* abolishing police, prisons, & all other forms of state violence. I am happy to discuss in-depth but for now, know that I am most heavily oriented in the work of folx like Project Nia; Interrupting Criminalization; Equitable Care Certification, and Survived & Punished. Of course, I am still deepening my learning and praxis, as one ought. As a RESOURCE MAVEN, I facilitate linkages to information & resources to support people’s wellbeing. Meaning I actually make the calls with you, etc., if wanted/needed. This type of support is a major source of joy for me & something that I’m happy to help with! I’m a FACILITATOR of JOY because, as a Queer, Disabled, Neurodivergent, fat, Gender Nonconforming Black person, I place special emphasis on helping marginalized folx find and (re)create joy in a world that denies us joy. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, my focus is on understanding the environmental and contextual factors at play in your life. I come to therapy with a trauma-informed/healing-centered perspective and work collaboratively with you on determining what kinds of interventions are best suited for your needs. My approach is laid back and can be viewed as “coachy,” meaning I ask questions and provide feedback to help you figure out solutions that will work for your life. I also encourage you to bring your creative and spiritual practices to therapy, so if you want to include art, tarot, crystals, ancestor reverence, etc., we can do that!

What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?

In early sessions, I prefer to focus on building connection and learning about what brings you to therapy. We will: - take care of legal/ethical and logistical matters (consent, confidentiality, payment, scheduling, etc.) - identify important current and past experiences related to your concerns - create a support plan (which goes far beyond traditional safety planning) - determine ways to work towards your healing, including discussions around learning & communication styles

Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.

While I am specifically trained in several therapeutic modalities, I focus on meeting people’s needs, rather than sticking to a particular modality. I am also a tarot/oracle & bone reader, level 2 reiki practitioner, rootworker, & ordained priest of Obatalá. All these skills & perspectives are present with me and available in my work. I especially love helping folx find connections between therapy, care work, & their ancestral healing practices.

About AMJ Alabún'mí A.M. Jones

AMJ Alabún'mí A.M. Jones offers therapy covered by Health Plan of San Joaquin - Medi-Cal in California.

Appointments

Virtual

My treatment methods

Brainspotting

I'm a level 2 Brainspotting practitioner. Brainspotting (BSP) was developed by David Grand, based on his work in EMDR. I most frequently combine BSP with other modalities to help people identify and work through unprocessed trauma.

Somatic

"The power that made the body is the power that heals the body." ~ B.J. Palmer, D.C. In other words, we naturally & spiritually know how to tend to our healing but the stresses of surviving in our society cause us to become detached from those skills – or even deny their existence. In our work, we will learn to identify and reconnect with those skills & practices.

Gender-affirming therapy

My practice exists to intentionally create healing space for QTBIPOC (Queer & Trans Black, Indigenous, & People of Color), with the understanding that when we center the needs of the most marginalized among us, everyone gets uplifted.

Exposure Response Prevention (ERP)

While I am trained in ERP, I prefer not to make it the sole focus of my work with someone. I most heavily rely on teaching the fear-avoidance cycle, creating a fear hierarchy, and using that to identify areas to target via somatic approaches. That said, I also utilize gentle exposures as necessary. Due to this, I do not treat OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) at this time.

Eclectic

In addition to the above-mentioned modalities, I focus on meeting people's specific needs related to: - Major life transitions (especially regarding higher education & the needs of TAY (Transition Age Youth, ages 16-24) - Adjusting to being diagnosed with autism and/or ADHD as adults - Identifying the role of oppression in people's lives & developing ways to navigate it *Services for those with diagnoses or symptoms of bipolar disorder or psychosis/schizophrenia may require ongoing partnership with a psychiatrist. Referrals are available. I do not automatically pathologize spiritual visitation or similar experiences.

AMJ Alabún'mí A.M. Jones, LCSW