I believe in the healing power of telling your story. Before I was a counselor, I was a newspaper reporter. People I interviewed frequently told me that it felt good to share their concerns, to be heard and understood. I, in turn, enjoyed giving voice to their experiences. As a counselor, I have the additional privilege of collaborating with clients to change their stories or to write new ones.
My primary focus as a counselor has been supporting children, teenagers and adults as they grieve a significant loss, such as a death, an illness, a loss of a relationship or a life change. My work with grief and trauma, both in hospice and grief support settings, has taught me that we have an incredible, natural capacity to heal from even the most painful and difficult experiences life can hand us. Through my work in medical and mental health clinics, I have learned to appreciate the close relationship between physical and mental health and the value of treating the whole person when addressing anxiety, depression, and stress-related issues.
As a counselor, I have witnessed people healing and reengaging with life with great courage and have heard first hand about the importance of living life well. Often, the most powerful gift you can give another person is not an immediate answer or a solution to a problem, but instead, the gift of presence.
I have been fortunate to train and work at Kaiser Permanente Hospice, Kaiser Mental Health, The Dougy Center for Grieving Children and the division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Oregon Health Sciences University. I am licensed as a Professional Counselor by the state of Oregon. I received my Masters in counseling from Lewis and Clark Graduate School of Counseling Psychology and my Bachelor of Science in English and Creative Writing from Stanford University. For more information, see my resume in the Forms section or contact me at amy@bwelllcounseling.com.
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