Hey there! I’m Amanda, and I want to share a little bit about my journey. Back in October 2018, I found myself standing on the ledge of a Canadian hotel room, ready to end it all. But then, a song played at just the right moment and pulled me back from the edge. I made a deal with myself right then and there—I’d give life everything I had for one year. If after that I still felt the same emptiness, I’d give myself permission to jump.
The thing was, I had no clue where to begin. I’d tried it all—counseling, meds, journaling, and devoured more self-help books than I could count. I even went down some pretty dark roads with alcohol, cocaine, cigarettes, and self-harm.
Eventually, I realized it was time to strip it all back to the basics. My lifestyle wasn’t conducive to thriving mental health. And let me tell you, that’s where the magic happened. I was decertified as having a Serious Mental Illness (SMI) in the middle of a global pandemic. My story has since been featured in Oxygen and Women’s Health, and I’m incredibly honored to have been named one of Strong Magazine’s Women to Watch.
If you’re feeling stuck, know that change is possible, and I’m here to help you find your way.
I’ve got two decades of personal experience: I’ve been through the wringer with mental health—diagnosed with BPD, labeled as SMI, and battling addiction and suicidal tendencies through most of my teenage and adult life. I’ve lived it, and I know what it takes to overcome.
I hold a Bachelor’s in Forensic Psychology: I earned my degree from Arizona State University, diving deep into the world of psychology and honing my skills to help others navigate their own mental health journeys. My approach is rooted in current research and evidence.
I’m trained as a Mind-Body Wellness coach: I got certified at the award-winning Southwest Institute of Healing Arts in Tempe, Arizona. This training has given me a holistic approach to wellness that I bring into everything I do for so I offer tools that conventional routes might not know about.
I’ve worked on the front lines of crisis prevention: I served as a crisis prevention operator for The Trevor Project and RAINN, and partnered with the It Gets Better project to support and empower at-risk individuals.
Wanna know more about me?
10 fun facts
1.
I’m an avid reader with a pretty eclectic taste—give me stories from Holocaust survivors or light-hearted chick lit and I will binge either.
6.
It wasn’t a 12-step program that helped me quit cocaine; it was meeting Mike Shinoda from Linkin Park ater sitting on a sidewalk for thirty-two hours.
2.
7.
Daniel Radcliffe once told me I was cute, and Billy Bob Thornton said I’d have been one of his wives if he were younger. Not too shabby for a girl who used to think she was hideous after years of ridicule!
3.
Wrestling legend Eric Bischoff is pretty much my adopted dad. Not only is he a guiding figure in my life, but he’s also shared some incredibly meaningful moments with me, like helping spread my parents’ ashes. Whoever said to never meet your heroes?!
8.
I’m a die-hard *NSYNC fan and will defend them to the ends of the earth. Their tunes are forever my jam!
4.
I know it sounds like a wild combo, but I’m unapologetically hooked on The Bold and the Beautiful while being totally obsessed with Dexter and Breaking Bad. It’s like mixing high drama with high stakes, and honestly, it’s my perfect blend of TV bliss!
9.
I got caught cheating on a French test in 10th grade and flunked the class—definitely a tough lesson! But I turned that setback into a comeback. I taught myself French as an adult and used those skills to give a presentation for Days for Girls in Haiti.
5.
I’ve been divorced, but we’re still besties. Just because something doesn’t work the way you planned doesn’t mean it can’t still be awesome.
10.
I helped change Arizona law by using my status as a felon who turned her life around to testify before the Arizona House of Representatives in regards to occupational licensing. Imagine my excitement when the bill I was rooting for passed!