Amanda Ward, M.S., MHC-LP
1. One of my favorite childhood memories is . . .
Writing and performing silly holiday plays with my younger sister.
2. I love being a mental health counselor because . . .
I get to connect with so many humans in such meaningful ways.
3. A life lesson I’ve learned from my clients is . . .
Keep learning and growing!
4. Three words that describe my counseling style are . . .
Relaxed, growth-oriented, compassionate.
5. When I’m not in counseling sessions, you’ll find me . . .
Reading, enjoying nature, listening to music, attending graduate classes, hanging out with cats.
6. Three people who inspire me are . . .
Each and every member of CNYMHC team!
7. A quote that I live by is . . .
“Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is fear walking.” –Susan David, PhD, author of Emotional Agility
8. One thing guaranteed to push me out of my comfort zone is . . .
Karaoke. I love singing, but terrified to do so in the company of others.
9. My best self-care technique is . . .
Waking up early to enjoy the sunrise and for some light stretching. There is nothing quite like the sound of leaves rustling in the wind at 6am.
10. This is how I found counseling and how counseling found me . . .
Seeking counseling as a client and gaining so much from the experience is part of what brought me here. The COVID-19 pandemic is part of what inspired a career change from education to counseling for me!
11. One thing I could not live without is . . .
Music. Don’t be surprised if you see me on the road belting out songs while driving.
12. If I were to tell a friend about mental health counseling, I would say . . .
There’s something for everyone here! We all have mental health and there such a variety of ways that one can “use” counseling to grow as a person.
13. The approaches I draw from in my counseling practice are . . .
Person-centered with some mindfulness-based CBT, somatic experiencing, and ACT. I am deeply interested in developing my knowledge base on somatic experiencing, as well as Internal Family Systems.
14. Clients that challenge me the most have this in common . . .
Difficulty with appreciating the awesome humans that they are.