Learn more about Amy on Decide To Transform.

Greetings! I am a licensed clinical social worker in McMinnville, Oregon.  I have worked as a chemical dependency counselor, school counselor, wilderness therapist, yoga teacher, counselor for a college and, for the last fourteen years, have supported teens, adults, and families in an independent practice.  I have come to know that my path is one of service to others through love, enthusiasm and connection.  I value encouraging others to walk their own path toward wellness and meaning.  My tiny office resides just 6.5 miles from downtown McMinnville. Research shows that green spaces have a calming effect on our brains, that forest bathing does wonders to our nervous system.  In the past year, my clients have reported missing their valued drive out of town into the green peacefulness of Muddy Valley, where my office sits in a quiet pasture.  They have also reported benefit from our frequent walks through the woods.  We know that movement integrates learning, the nature views gift a new perspective, and the exercise doubles the value of time spent in therapy.   For now, we connect online to do the important therapeutic work they need and are encouraged to get out into nature themselves to support their well-being.
I work with clients in a variety of ways and have been most impacted over the years by a variety of therapeutic principles and philosophies that might sound familiar:  Person-Centered, Humanistic, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Interpersonal Neurobiology, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and Cognitive Behavior Therapy.  All of my work is steeped in the attitudes of Mindfulness because I have witnessed those practices change my own life and contribute profoundly to others' well-being. My aim is to get to know you well enough to tailor a treatment program that works for you and helps you find a path in the direction you seek for your own best life.  A new perspective might be helpful; somewhere deep inside of you, you know what is best for you.  Please read up on my online mindfulness offerings as well, because despite the pandemic, our weekly meetings continue to bring value to folks at home.  

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Amy engages with clients in ways they can... ​

connect and choose. In individual and family counseling, Amy forges therapeutic relationships to help people gain perspective on their minds and build choice about their own responses to what happens in their lives. Amy works with late teen and adult clients with issues ranging from emerging independence to end of life challenges. Folks identify their values as they address issues leading to depression, anxiety, anger, grief, bumpy life transitions, family conflict and other normal challenges of real life.  
embody and enjoy.  In group settings at her farm office and in her forest, Amy facilitates experiences that encourage participants to inhabit their bodies, experiencing the joy of teamwork, physical activity and a connection to themselves and the natural environment.  Forest hiking, mindfulness meditation sessions, and transformative activities all combine to make Amy's sessions good options for retreats, classes, group trainings and even special-design sessions.  If you have a family or group that might benefit from working toward wellness but don't want to sit through therapy sessions, call Amy to talk about options.  Insurance doesn't pay for group hikes or kids yoga, but science has proven that being in green spaces and moving your body calms the brain and increases happiness.  Why not try something new in your quest for mental wellness?    
attend and ground.  Amy trains individuals and groups in the practice of mindfulness for participants to increase their awareness of the present moment and to decrease their stress.  Using psychotherapy, mindfulness, walking in nature, gardening and interaction with animals, she helps individuals who have suffered trauma to stand on solid ground and embrace themselves in loving kindness. 

What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
​- Mary Oliver

​Photo by Ukiah Halloran-Steiner & video by Alyson Larkin​