My name is Amy,
and this is my face

I really think you have to like your therapist's face to want to work with them. You and your therapist have to develop a trusting, meaningful relationship in order for the work to feel good. That starts with your intuition about whether you might want to talk to me. I'm not offended if I do not appeal to everyone; I think that is how it should be. 

​

For a little background, my face is 46 years old, but I have freckles and get Botox biannually so I look younger than that. (Note: I'm going to be so sad the day people do not react with surprise about my age.) Yes, I am a proper adult for the most part. I finished my MSW in 2005 from Wash U's Brown School of Social Work, and have been clinically licensed since 2011. I'm licensed in Missouri + Illinois. 

​

This is the face of a person who did not plan to have children or get married again, but I'm enjoying doing life with these two humans (see below) who are silly and sweet and make me happy. I believe in joyful, value-added relationships where we are fully ourselves together; if I can't have that, I would rather be alone. I have a lot of really good friends, but most of them don't live here so I spend most of my spare time reading or doing yoga or writing. 

​​

Because I am covered in tattoos and I cuss a lot, people often expect me to be less sensitive than I am. I cry easily. I might cry in your session if you cry (mirror neurons and all that). There are enough tissues (and chocolate) for both of us. (I always have good chocolate!) 

 

My communication style is warm, authentic, and very direct. I bring a lot of irreverence and humor to the therapy space, because if we can't laugh at the absolute clusterf*** life can be, we might as well just lay down and stop trying. (Personally I think I'm very funny.)

​

Even so, I admit that I'm angry and sad about a lot of things about how the world is. I don't believe we are collectively doing a good job of taking care of each other, and I feel deep empathy for any and all human suffering. 

 

So...you should know I am not a blank slate type of therapist. Not that we have to talk politics, but the personal IS political. We can disagree on a lot, but not about basic human rights. I work hard to decolonize my worldview which includes how I see the therapeutic relationship. It's not just a transaction; it's a relationship. We have to like and trust each other. If this sounds good to you, let's do this! 

​​

 

TL;DR: I am awesome, you should be too. 

​

​