Meet Amber Boyd

We were lucky to catch up with Amber Boyd recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Amber, so great to have you on the platform. There’s so much we want to ask you, but let’s start with the topic of self-care. Do you do anything for self-care and if so, do you think it’s had a meaningful impact on your effectiveness?
Self-care is an act of love dedicated explicitly to me! How I move in the world in my professional and personal life centers on how I have cared for others. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and my family and friends mean the world to me. Trying to figure out how to love them has also shed light on how I would neglect myself to show up in ways that would overextend my boundaries, compare, and (at times) minimize or invalidate my own experience. The desire to do well (perfectionism) and the desire to show how much I love and care about the people that matter to me, I learned that I could not do that if I am not taking care of myself. As a friend recently said, “if you care for yourself, no one is at a deficit,” That resonated with me deeply.

Self-care allows me to be in my present place versus where I feel like I should (could or world) be. It’s my way of relieving an otherwise overactive brain and giving heart. I have shifted my focus to: setting and maintaining boundaries (saying what I have the capacity for), declining to be in spaces that may drain my energy, listening to my body to emphasize rest, pushing away from my computer and not overworking, checking in with the people who reciprocate filling our collective cups, and providing myself the opportunity to enjoy what this world has to offer!

Engaging in my mental health journey and checking in with my accountability partners continues to support me in mitigating striving for perfection, instead aiming for the best version of myself. This means if 50% is the capacity I have, if I show up at my full capacity of 50%, then I’ve given 100%! I can give myself grace based on honoring where I am emotionally, mentally, or spiritually at that moment!

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Amber Boyd is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, CEO/Owner of Healing Through Authenticity, PLLC, Author, Youtube Creator, and Podcast Host, hailing from Oakland, CA. She currently resides and practices in Houston, TX. Amber has been providing therapy for over ten years and specializes in dispelling the myth that mental health is not imperative for marginalized and maligned communities by addressing experiences of depression, anxiety, boundary setting, and trauma.

Amber is also a bariatric patient who published a journal/workbook for bariatric patients entitled: “Preparing For Your Bariatric Journey” shortly after her surgery, hoping to provide bariatric patients with an additional resource to explore and honor their experience. The journal/workbook inspired a 5-week curriculum based on the text that supports clients in exploring their decision around having bariatric surgery, a space to discuss concerns they may have, their relationship to their body, their relationship to food, and managing any expectations.

Amber is an alumna of the University of California Berkeley and Syracuse University, where both experiences fueled her passion for mental health in communities that mirrored her own experience growing up. Amber has worked within the community mental health setting and on a college campus to give back to the communities that have inspired and supported her.

Amber has been featured in VoyageHouston, Shoutout LA, and CanvasRebel. Amber’s podcast: Moments of Authenticity, can be found on the following podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Radio Public, and Pocket Podcasts. Amber also has a YouTube channel that provides a biopsychosocial perspective on bariatric surgery.

Amber is dually licensed and serves clients virtually in California and Texas.

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?
1. “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”- African Proverb. One of the biggest things I have learned throughout my journey is that when I feel alone or need to figure something out in silo, I have already done myself a disservice. I have not utilized the tools and resources around me to my advantage, and I have closed myself off as a punishment to figure things out on my own and can do more harm because I feel like “I should’ve known.” When I allow my community to assist, I can navigate challenging spaces faster and feel challenged yet affirmed in my feelings. It’s ok to need help; it does not make you less capable; it speaks to your ability to be vulnerable and willing to do what’s necessary to meet your needs without creating more harm in silence.

2. Set boundaries: your mind, body, and spirit are good judges of what feels comfortable or uncomfortable. You can overextend and burn out when you ignore the feelings and red flags. Boundaries are not limited to work, but also relationships with other people. Taking time to nurture the relationships with your mind, body, and spirit sharpens the ability to name and honor how you feel about an experience or circumstance. Therapy, guided meditation, journaling, art, and music can help you explore these feelings and what you need to move forward comfortably.

3. Intention vs. impact! You may have the best of intentions in what you want to give the world, but what will be remembered is your impact. It is essential to be accountable for the impact that you may leave.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I am looking for folx to collaborate with! I would love to be able to support fellow bariatric patients with the biopsychosocial (the physical, mental, emotional, and social) aspects of their journey. I would love to connect with bariatric doctors, programs, and bariatric patients to incorporate my 5-week program “Preparing For Your Bariatric Journey” into their program plan. I want to support clients early in their process to mitigate unresolved traumas, grief about the loss of using food as a coping mechanism, establishing and exploring a new relationship with their body, and establishing and exploring a new relationship with food.

The best way to contact me is via email to discuss logistics.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
FemForce

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