Our Crew
Amy Hoag, Licensed Professional Counselor, NCC:
I am a White, Able- and Small-fat Bodied, Queer, Highly Educated, Financially Privileged Person. I use she/her and he/him pronouns. These identities inherently inform who I am and how I show up in and experience the world. It is some of my greatest work in life to continuously examine and take responsibility for those identities.
Along with this, I believe that I cannot support you in going where I have not gone in my own work. In that, I am committed to a continuous journey of personal healing so that I may support you as you travel down your path of Self discovery.
I believe that human beings are inherently competent in the arts of healing, wisdom, love, curiosity, growth, and change. Sometimes, we can become disconnected from ourselves and lose touch with our own capacity to heal. This disconnection from ourselves can come from experiences of trauma on an individual, relational, systemic and/or historical level. They can also come from painful experiences where family members, parents, dear friends, or important figures did not meet our needs or caused us harm. Lastly, they can come from cultural messages which teach us that it isn’t safe to be ourselves or speak our truth.
However, there is always hope, as I believe that our inner wisdom cannot be damaged or destroyed by these events. Through safe and trauma-sensitive connection, I believe we can come home to ourselves and welcome all of our parts into a life liberated from trauma, shame, hopelessness, and systemic oppression.
This is not an easy or comfortable process, and it can be incredibly daunting to step into your personal work. I have so much respect and admiration for you, and feel it is my number one responsibility to create safety and space for all of the parts of you. My deepest hope is that we can create a relationship in which you feel safe enough to share even if there is something that isn’t working for you about this counseling process or about me.
In service of creating the safety and the space you need to experience healing, I use a variety of trauma-informed, liberation-focused approaches to support holistic wellness. I have Level Two training in Internal Family Systems, as well as training in Brainspotting, Somatic Therapy, and Emotions Focused Therapy. I receive supervision from Kindra Carroll, LCSW to additionally support my growth and competence as a counselor. I strongly believe in community care when that is needed, and prioritize connection with physical health, acupuncture, and holistic wellness practitioners to support needs you may have which extend beyond my scope of practice.
My work is deeply informed by the wisdom and transformative power of Black Feminism and Science Fiction (Audre Lorde, adrienne maree brown, Pat Parker, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, the Combahee River Collective, Octavia Butler, and NK Jemison). My practice is rooted in Abolition (K Agbebiyi, Mariame Kaba, Ruth Wilson Gilmore, and Dr. Angela Davis). My actions flow through the structure of Critical Liberation Theory (Dr. Tee Williams, Dr. Barbara Love). My therapy cannot be separated from my politics and identities, just as your personal healing cannot occur outside of the identities and politics you hold.
Meet our Therapy Dog: Tucker
Tucker is a US certified Service Dog, equipped to emotionally support folx through counseling sessions with a gentle presence. He loves long walks, snuggles, ice cream, bacon, and cheese. If you are interested in getting to know him or having Tucker join one of your sessions, let us know before your next appointment!
*Tucker only attends in-person sessions