Amanda is licensed in the state of Georgia as a Licensed Professional Counselor. Also, she is a National Certified Counselor. Amanda completed her Master of Science degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Capella University in 2018, and her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, with a concentration in Substance Abuse, from Kaplan University in 2015. Clinical experience prior to joining The Counseling Group includes work at a co-occurring substance use treatment facility and a private practice setting, where she provided counseling to adolescents, adults, and couples. Amanda has been trained in evidence-based psychotherapies, including but not limited to, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Solution-Focused Therapy. She also completed specialized training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Amanda offers a unique, person-centered, trauma-informed approach to therapy which guides individuals to their own path to happiness. Her philosophy emphasizes the importance of individual trauma and how it plays out in the client’s world today. Her knowledge of CBT, DBT, EMDR, Psychoeducation, and Solution-Focused therapy interventions allows her to serve adolescents, adults, couples, and groups in a variety of mental health-related areas. Amanda’s clinical interests include, but are not limited to, individuals affected by trauma, anxiety, depression, substance use, bereavement, marital problems, physical illnesses, and general life struggles. As a spouse of a veteran, she also has clinical interests of working with veterans and their families.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
My main goal for an initial session is to allow for one initial goal to be set with obtainable ways to meet that goal. This may be something achievable by the second session or within a few weeks. From future sessions my general goal is to investigate what you want to improve and help establish a plan to obtain those goals. Providing alternative perspectives or ideas, tools, or interventions within sessions are a few ways which I assist achieve your goals.
What treatment methods and tools do you utilize?
I utilize a trauma-informed approach to CBT, DBT, EMDR, person centered, humanistic, existential, psychoeducation, and solution-focused therapy interventions
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
My main area of focus is trauma. Trauma big or small. The most important factor to this is that trauma is based off an individual's perspective, rather than a definition. This is how you, or your body, experienced an event, memory, season of life, etc. Your body can assess something as trauma although society or our our definition would disagree. I place most of my research efforts in continuing my understanding of this area.
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
ADHD Addiction Alcohol Use Anger Management Bipolar Disorder Career Counseling Child Chronic Pain Codependency Coping Skills Divorce Domestic Abuse Domestic Violence Drug Abuse Dual Diagnosis Eating Disorders Emotional Disturbance Grief Infidelity Life Transitions Marital and Premarital Men's Issues Obsessive-Compulsive (OCD) Peer Relationships Pregnancy, Prenatal, Postpartum Relationship Issues School Issues Self Esteem Self-Harming Sexual Abuse Sexual Addiction Sleep or Insomnia Spirituality Stress Substance Use Suicidal Ideation Teen Violence Transgender Video Game Addiction Women's Issues