Career Roadmap
Amanda's work combines: Entrepreneurship, Writing, and Communicating / Sharing Stories
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Oscoda Area High School
Bachelor's Degree
Psychology/Athletic Coaching/Outdoor Recreation
Central Michigan University
Graduate Degree
Recreation Administration
California State University, Long Beach
Doctorate
Master's of Social Welfare
University of California, Los Angeles
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Clinical & Counseling Psychologists:
Bachelor's Degree: Psychology
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
I was really good at following the rules and people pleasing so I got straight A's all throughout every level of education I completed.
2.
I left my home state of Michigan and moved to Atlanta, GA to work in education, running tutoring and after school programs and teaching elementary special education.
3.
I moved to Los Angeles, CA and completed two different master's degrees and learned to surf. During this time I also worked in both the education and recreation fields.
4.
I went through a very late adolescent rebellion (maybe still am) when I realized that always following the rules wasn't getting me the happiness and success I'd been promised for doing so.
5.
I worked in the LA county jail as a therapist, which further caused me to further question almost everything I'd been taught in my education.
6.
My adult form of rebellion consisted of listening to my intuition instead of society's fears and once I became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), I started my own business.
7.
I now provide education and support to others in the way I wish I'd received it. I specialize in mindful movement, outdoor, and creative play therapy/coaching/consulting.
8.
In addition to my business, I also write and create art and other projects as a part of my "job," which I've always wanted to do professionally but was held back by fear.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
You can't make any money writing.
How I responded:
I listened to it for awhile but when I realized a writer's average salary without any graduate degree is the same as a social worker with a graduate degree, I decided a lot of people speak from a place of fear and I didn't want to live in that place anymore. Now when I'm afraid of something I take steps toward facing that fear.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I grew up in a low-income family in a low-income part of the country. This contributed to the many limiting beliefs I had around money. Once I realized this I've consciously challenged and replaced these beliefs to better support me and others.