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My approach

​My approach is informed by the work of Dr. Stephen Porges and Polyval Theory which emphasizes the role the autonomic nervous system - especially the vagus nerve - plays in regulating our health and behavior - "What happens in vagus, stays in vagus." Having worked the past several years providing health assessments/evaluations (determining readiness for surgeries such as Bariatric and Spinal Cord Stimulator), I noticed a common theme of unmetabolized stress/psychic pain contributing to the clinical picture. Psychophysiological Disorders is the latest term our modern medical system is using to categorize baffling conditions that often do not fit a definitive diagnosis. Our culture gives the general message to "grin and bear it," "just get over it and move on" and, due to high costs of complementary and alternative treatments and time constraints, many people do not prioritize their well-being until they start to have debilitating medical concerns. As the quote goes, "If you don't make time for your wellness, you'll have to make time for your illness." 

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About Dr. Amber

Dr. Amber holds a doctoral degree in Applied Clinical Psychology with advanced training/interest in Consciousness, Phenomenology (Time, Spirit, Creativity, etc.) and Energy Psychology.  Her dissertation involved the creation of a restorative justice program for young women in the juvenile justice system that incorporated yoga/chakra education. She has over 20 years of clinical experience working in community mental health centers, schools, with university students/faculty/staff, as an adjunct professor at Antioch University (having taught master's/doctoral-level courses in Psychopharmacology and Personality Assessment) and private practice.

 

She is an advanced energy healer (Usui Reiki tradition), along with many years of yoga teacher training and practice. Aligned with Divine Consciousness, she has a deep reverence for Nature's rhythms and is a devoted scholar/practitioner of interspiritual mystic traditions (particularly divine energy movement methods) while also having a healthy dose of humor!

"To Laugh at Yourself is to Love Yourself" ~ Mickey Mouse

 

Additional background experience includes working as a literary editor/journalist/producer and providing development support for organizations such as Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, Music Academy of the West, and Santa Barbara Revels.  In her free time, Dr. Amber enjoys cooking, photography, singing and dancing, writing, and hiking. Her latest personal growth project is writing her first children's book based on her pets, Vienna (a Cairn Terrier/Yorkie mix) and Mozart (aka Momo, a Russian Blue). She is also an avid adventurer and envisions more travel in her future. 

 

Clinical Orientation 

Psychodynamic/Depth

Research Interests:

Personality, Perception and Decision-Making (Career/Identity/Relationships)

​Memberships
Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology​​