About Us | amandaharetherapy

Welcome

I approach psychotherapy from a wellness and empowerment model that assumes we all have basic goodness and tend towards health rather than dysfunction. I believe we have the answers to our problems inside of us. My therapeutic intention is to support you in the process of discovering your own inner wisdom.

My client-centered therapeutic work emphasizes personal reflection, integration and skill building, laying the foundation for fulfilling relationships with self and other. Through an integrated body/mind/spirit approach, I will assist you in accessing the natural intelligence of your body to rediscover your birthright of balance and health. My goal for this process is heart-centered, creative inquiry. As clarity naturally emerges, I welcome feedback about your needs in the moment, allowing our collaborative relationship to grow.

I see life as a web of relationships. I am guided by the vision of healthy individuals creating safe and nourishing communities. We all have a unique contribution to make. I trust that a personal healing journey, once begun, will ripple out into the world.

Influences

My practice is strongly Trauma-Informed and I love to help my clients befriend their nervous systems by sharing insights from the Polyvagal Theory.

Attachment Theory is a pillar in my work. I find that understanding how we adapted to our early childhood environment by forming our particular Attachment Styles, is a game changer for skillfully navigating our adult relationships and developing Secure Attachment.

I am informed by Internal Family Systems and other Parts-oriented modalities. I use a simple three part developmental Parts model: Wounded Child, Adaptive Child, and Resourced Adult. Many of us were wounded in childhood. Adaptive Parts developed to protect that Wounded Child, and they did it with amazing intelligence and grit! Unfortunately, the Adaptive Parts are the ones that create the most problems in our lives as adults. Much of my work with clients is focused on developing collaborative and compassionate relationships with our Wounded Child and Adaptive Parts and strengthening what I refer to as the Resourced Adult in order to fully claim our personal authority, live from our Values, and contribute to our communities.

A few other things about me: I am a life-long learner and anyone who knows me, knows that I love to share psycho-educational resources like podcasts, books, and articles that empower personal development. I have longstanding somatic mindfulness practices in yoga, dance, and Authentic Movement. I love making and looking at art and I try to spend time outside most days, hiking, biking, swimming, and gardening. I feel humbled and grateful to live in, what I consider to be, one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Education & Training

Masters of Arts

Counseling Psychology

Leadership Institute of Seattle, Saybrook University

Bachelors of Arts

Self-Designed Major: Social Justice & The Construction of Identity;

& Minor in Women's Studies

Fairhaven College, Western Washington University

Specializations