Meet Amanda Averbeck

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amanda Averbeck. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Amanda, so great to have you with us today. There are so many topics we want to ask you about, but perhaps the one we can start with is burnout. How have you overcome or avoided burnout?

Instead of trying to explain it conventionally, I wrote this “poemish” to describe my experience with overcoming burnout.

Remade from ashes,

twice in my life.

Intimate with depths.

Hopelessness, scrambling, resurfacing.

 

I know the drill.

With dignity

Turning inward.
Reflection bent.

Tasked with centering,

Daybreak until dusk.

A mandala of resources
bulwark against the tide.

 

Breathing

Praying
Connecting

Laughing

Crying
Writing
Seeing

Waiting

Reaching

We all have pain.

It can connect us through our core,

Or yank us down in isolated darkness to drown.

The choice is ours

 

Now, steady as a post for others.

A symbol of weathering the storm.

Guiding others to anchor
themselves on their own shore.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’ve just published my first book, Newsfeed Ads For Counselors. It’s a resource written from a counselor’s perspective for counselors about marketing your private practice to your niche audience with Facebook Ads. I believe when people can find their best fit therapist, great therapy can happen.

I have also recently written a chapter on The Satir Model in an internationally used textbook, Marriage and Family Therapy: A Practice Oriented Approach, 3rd Edition. It should be released later this year.

In my private practice, I specialize in working with individuals and couples in the child rearing stage of life. Raising children is one of the most stressful events a family can go through. I believe when couples are well supported during this time, they set themselves up for healing their past, present, future, and their children’s future. They have the opportunity to shed old family patterns and create original family patterns they want.

When I am not writing or seeing clients, I like to create fluid art and have deep conversations with family and friends.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Knowing my purpose – In my heart, I know I am meant to be a counselor and writer. When I fall down, this is what lifts me up again. To find your purpose, spend at least 20 mins a day meditating or in self reflection. I also highly recommend IFS therapy.

Persistence – Because I know who I am and what I am meant to do in life, it’s easy for me to stay persistent in following the path forward, no matter how challenging it becomes at times. When you run into challenging times, remember what brings you joy and move towards it. Likely this is your purpose in life. Keep going.

Self-Advocacy – In my journey I’ve had to advocate for myself–at lot. This skill has come in handy when I work with clients because I know how to advocate for them too. When you feel like something is not right and you are not receiving the care you think you need, research, keep asking in a kind way for what you need. Keep searching for practitioners who do want to help you. Join online support groups. There are people out there who will lift you up if you keep searching and asking.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

Right now I am collaborating with someone in the marketing industry. We both have a passion for the Satir Model, a family therapy model developed in the 1950s-80s by Virginia Satir. It is most known for helping families learn to be more connected by communicating in clear and gentle ways. It’s also steeped in mindfulness and inner reflection, helping clients become aligned from the inside out. In Virginia’s later years, she was an advocate of World Peace.

We are starting a podcast called The Satir Influence. We will be interviewing Master Therapists of other modalities who have been inspired by Virginia Satir. For example, Richard Schwartz, the founder of the popular Internal Family Systems Therapy Model, admits being inspired by Virginia’s work.

My colleague and I hope to shed light on how The Satir Model has given birth to many modern and evidenced based models used today.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
@ambershumake @camfield_photography By w:User:William Meyer – User-made photograph, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2795962

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