Amanda Comage-Trower
Mental Heart Therapeutic Play
Queen Creek, AZ USA
"It doesn’t mean that you’re failing just because you’re taking a smaller step than somebody else. Just keep going."
Career Roadmap
Amanda's work combines: Education, Entrepreneurship, and Helping People
See more careers and stories that connect to your interests.
Take Roadmap Quiz
Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
I knew I wanted to work in children's therapy but got told "no" because I didn't have the right experience. I didn't let that deter me. I figured out what certifications I needed in order to secure a management role. After bolstering my education, I went back and showed them that I had what they required. I got the job as a manager, which was a necessary stepping stone for my position today. Don't let a "no" stop you. Find out why you were told no then do what it takes to get the "yes."
Here's the path I took:
High School
Certification
Therapeutic Play
Institute of Child Psychology
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
I was raised in Ipswich, England, and was able to travel around the world because my father and my ex-husband were both in the military.
2.
I knew early on that I wanted to work with children—I started working in early childhood spaces at 16 years old.
3.
As I learned about the different areas within the early childhood field, I wanted to gain experience in all of them—I worked in marketing, at a child crisis center, and for Child Protective Services.
4.
My husband and I moved to Indiana, where I discovered my passion for children’s therapy.
5.
I completed the education necessary to work in child therapy, including a certification from the Institute of Child Psychology.
6.
When we moved back to Arizona, I had trouble finding a clinic that was a great fit for me, so I decided to start my own company.
7.
In 2020, I started Mental Heart, a holistic children's therapeutic play practice that provides very specialized and personalized therapeutic services to children.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
We can't give you a chance. You don't have management experience. You're not ready for this.
How I responded:
I knew I wanted to work in children's therapy but got told "no" because I didn't have the right experience. I didn't let that deter me. I figured out what certifications I needed in order to secure a management role. After bolstering my education, I went back and showed them that I had what they required. I got the job as a manager, which was a necessary stepping stone for my position today. Don't let a "no" stop you. Find out why you were told no then do what it takes to get the "yes."
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
Most children's clinics are actually ran by men. When I was starting my business, the doctors and program owners were not very welcoming of talking to a woman. They thought women should do classroom duties rather than run the company.