Hey There
I’m Amanda. I’ve lived in Durango since 2010, and before that I lived in sunny Southern California. I’m married to my loving and supportive husband, Dennis, and have three amazing children who are growing up before our eyes. Durango has no limit to outdoor activities and I love to explore and try new options often. My favorites are hikes and paddleboarding, but I also love boating and trail running. I’ve played softball since I was a kid and now compete in an adult recreation league during the summer. Within the last year, I picked up the sport of pickleball and competed in my first tournament in January 2024. I’ve also raced in two half marathons, the Thirsty 13, and the Mountain Marmot. Most days however, you’ll find me in the gym or walking our mini-Australian shepherd, Hazel, through our neighborhood. I enjoy moving my body in lots of different ways and am thankful that I can be so active in my daily life.
My Background
Life hasn’t always been enjoyable though. My father passed unexpectedly when I was only 9, and life as I knew it changed overnight. As a pre-teen and early teenager, I fought depression and performance anxiety, even though people couldn’t see it from the outside. I battled that part of my life alone, and suffered while still maintaining a positive appearance, good grades and a productive outer shell. Suffering in silence was overwhelming, and most days felt like I would never recover, however this tough season of my life actually lead me into my calling. My love for helping people started in high school, when I joined a peer-to-peer counseling service and education program called Peer Leaders Uniting Students (PLUS). As I realized how much helping others actually allowed me to keep my own head above water, I applied as Head Counselor of the program and became a Certified Mediation Coach, and successfully mediated conflicts, lead discussion groups, and counseled my peers all through my high school career. At this point, I knew I loved helping people and believing in them enough to see them through the toughest of times. I graduated in 2006, heading straight toward the path of psychology.
From 2007-2010, I studied psychology and education at the University of California, San Diego. My focus was on developmental psychology and human behavior. I participated in multiple different groups on campus all focused on mental health and self-discovery. I led a discussion group as a TA under one of the associate professors at UCSD helping younger students on campus discover themselves as student leaders and future educators. While attending UCSD, I also tutored at a local middle school, helping students not just academically, but also coaching them as they navigated the overwhelming world of middle school, something I was aware of and painfully remembered. I tried to be the change and help that I had never received myself.
Through college and early adulthood, my mental health improved, but after the birth of my third child, I suffered through a bout of undiagnosed and untreated postpartum depression. Those were some dark days. My husband was very supportive, but it was hard to see over the cloak of baby hood, little sleep, toddler wrangling, constant noise and neediness and the tasks of everyday life. It was at that moment I knew I had to tackle my own mental health in a new way. All of the psycho-education I had received wasn’t enough to carry me out of the darkness and into healing. I had to take it to the next level. I started to regularly exercise, learn about stress and its effect on the body, the benefits of good nutrition, and finding a friend circle that was supportive, understanding, and honest about motherhood and the mental health effects.
Although my background has always been focused on mental health awareness and education, it’s always missed a piece of the puzzle. Coaching is that missing piece. Although becoming a therapist was the original goal, it missed a fundamental factor that I couldn’t put a finger on until recently. As a coach, I can utilize my knowledge in psychoeducation, neuroscience, human behavior, and cognitive processes, without having to focus on only these topics. As a Wellness Coach, I can expand my teachings into the benefits of movement, nutrition and stress management and use ability to help people see past their traditional mental health and into the world of Total Wellness, weaving together Mind and Body. Extending past the psyche and into the whole person. I look forward to meeting you on your journey, wherever you might be, and helping you see the power within you to create your own path to wholeness and health.