Amanda Keogh, LMHCA

I specialize in trauma-informed, postmodern, and experiential therapeutic orientations. But what does that mean for our work together?

It means I recognize that our bodies may learn lessons our minds may not be able to erase, and that therapy sometimes needs to go beyond “just talk.” We may learn these lessons from traumatic experiences, or from childhood lessons that shape our understanding of ourselves, our relationships, and our opportunities.

I also believe that your problems are not “all in your head.” There are real reasons we feel the way we feel, and those reasons and feelings deserve to be heard and honored. Systemic oppression, world events, and childhood experiences have a real effect on us. If the world has ever told you who you are is “not okay”, it may feel dangerous just to exist in certain spaces, let alone to act on your feelings and desires. Together we will work with compassion to better understand how to unite your Self, your values, and your circumstances to build the life you want to live.

To heal, we may need insight into ourselves, and how we tell the story of who we are. Beyond understanding, we need to cultivate new experiences too–to feel, in our bodies, new ways of being. In practice, we might do this through the therapeutic relationship, therapy “homework”, or creative or artistic expression. The experience will be unique for each person, and carefully navigate the line of safety and growth.