Meet Our Therapists — Amanda Gregory

At Symmetry Counseling, we are proud of our staff of highly trained and experienced licensed mental health professionals. In the above video, meet Amanda Gregory, a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor here at Symmetry Counseling.

What made you decide to be a therapist?

You know, I started in this field kind of unexpectedly. I started as a photojournalist and all of the assignments I loved always had something to do with people. I loved one-on-one portraits, and I found that I was constantly trying to gather an image that really showed who the person actually was. It was this passion that really drew me to people, finding out who they are, accepting them completely, and that’s what led me to counseling and therapy.

What are your specialties?

I specialize in trauma. I have been working with people who experience trauma for about ten years now. I also specialize in attachment, relationships, anxiety, depression, and I also work with people who are experiencing life transitions, grief and loss, and who just need some assistance with stress management.

What is your therapeutic stance?

I’m an attachment-trained therapist, and so basically that means that relationships are vital in what I do. My first supervisor, Landon Kirk, once told me that, “without relationships, we are nothing, that we have nothing.” That really resonated with me so I’m constantly focused on my relationships with my clients and also their relationships with important people in their lives. I’m an EMDR-certified therapist which is Eye Movement and Desensitization Reprocessing. This is a very cool, unique, cutting-edge intervention that I love and I’ve had some success with it. I also borrow from some modalities of solution-focused and cognitive behavioral therapy.

What do you enjoy most about being a therapist?

I really enjoy the opportunity to accept someone unconditionally. When we open ourselves up to someone, when we show them who we truly are, it takes a great deal of courage. It takes a lot of safety and trust, and I think it’s wonderful to be a part of that. And when I have the experience of accepting someone based on who they are in the moment, not who they want to be, not who they think they should be, but who they are in the moment, it makes me feel very humble, for one, and also very grateful.

If you could be an animal, what animal would you be?

If I could be any animal, I would actually be a blue whale. I think they’re the biggest animal in the world and also, when I think of whales, they really come across to me as having this calm, safe, peaceful presence, and I really hope that’s how other people see me.

What do you do for self-care?

So with my self-care, I read a lot. I spend a lot of time in nature and with animals — I find that very grounding. I also do what’s called “flotation therapy.” So I go into this sensory deprivation chamber and I float in salt water. It kind of feels like you’re floating in space. You can see, hear, or feel anything. And it just really helps me to clear my mind, help me calm my entire body, really feel connected to my body, and it just helps with my overall creative process.

What are your hobbies?

I love going to museums. It really doesn’t matter what museum it is, if there is something to learn, I’m probably going to go. I’m a big writer, so I do a lot of clinical writing, I’ve written a lot of blogs — if you have a chance, check it out, there’s a lot of great content on that. And I also do some personal essays, memoirs, things like that. I also enjoy spending time with my friends, particularly playing competitive games like bocce.

Are you an early bird or a night owl?

I am 100% an early bird. If I do not get up by 7 a.m., I’m probably not feeling very well. So I’m very productive in the mornings and that’s usually where I get my best ideas.

What is your favorite quote?

My favorite quote is from Eleanor Roosevelt. She said that, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” That makes a lot of sense to me. We can’t control other people, what they do, what they say, but we can control how it impacts us.