Today we’d like to introduce you to Amber Boyd, LMFT.
Hi Amber, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist originally hailing from Oakland, CA but have been a Houston, TX resident for close to two years. I come from a family of survivors, motivators, and hardworking folx. whom I derive my strength and passion from. I’ve been a therapist for the past ten years and was encouraged by the person who was supportive to me during my grade school years, my school counselor. I knew that I always wanted to be in a helping profession but struggled to find what was a good fit for me, but during my undergraduate studies, I was able to do an internship with my school counselor for credit and that is where it dawned on me that I wanted to touch lives like she touched mine. There were moments throughout my childhood that I felt hypervisible and hyper-invisible at the same time, but consistently my school counselor saw me, encouraged me, and challenged me to want more for myself. She encouraged me to join clubs that would nourish the goals that I saw for myself, she encouraged me to apply to colleges that I was not certain that I would get into, and she told me to look into Marriage and Family Therapy so that I could reach a wider range of folx.
In all of the instances that I was unsure about, she was sure and she was RIGHT! My therapy practice, Healing Through Authenticity, has been dedicated to folx of color to feel seen, heard, and understood because there are spaces where it can be challenging to be hypervisible and hyper-invisible at the same time. Having someone be able to support with challenging the negative self-talk, image, and feelings that may have been learned over time is something that I have valued in my own life so being able to give that back to clients has been one of the greatest feelings. I also decided to take my practice completely online in August of 2019 in order to meet the needs of folx in California and in Texas with a broader reach.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, unfortunately, the desire to want to help folx overcome feeling like they are less than has not been easy! With doing this work, there is the compounding work of taking care of your own mental, physical, and emotional health. Co-creating a space for others to unload and unburden can be beautiful and challenging simultaneously. As a therapist, I am still a human who experiences anxieties, depressive symptoms, and imposter syndrome which is why I am both an advocate and a client. I attend therapy as a means to make sure that I am addressing the experiences that I have had, continue to have the capacity to show up as my most authentic self, and support clients to find their internal and external resources.
As you know, we’re big fans of Healing Through Authenticity. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and my practice is supporting folx of color to engage, manage, and explore: depressive symptoms, anxiety and setting boundaries for themselves in the most authentic way possible. The thing that I am most proud of and what I feel also sets me apart from others is the fact that I highlight the AUTHENTICITY piece, this is how I show up in session and in my life. By giving myself permission to do so, I encourage clients to do the same. I support by challenging behaviors, creating new narratives for themselves, and encouraging being kind and gentle with oneself. I also have a podcast that is available, MOMENTS OF AUTHENTICITY, where I take topics that I have discussed within session, with colleagues, and with family/friends and provide a perspective and thoughts on how to manage concerns that arise. The podcast is available on the following sites: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Anchor, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and Radio Public.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Since the unfortunate COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant shift in the need for mental health support (and that was in the first couple of months) I think there will continue to be a need to address emotional and mental health as life circumstances continue to be challenging. I believe in the next 5-10 years, there will be more therapists of color who can address issues that compound the intersections that folx identities land on (i.e., identifying as a Black, queer, femme). I also believe that as technology continues to expand, there will be an increase in how therapy can take place, including allowing therapists to work within states without having to apply to do so. Therapy has become a vital resource to address concerns on a bevy of issues and I believe that it will continue to be more normalized.
Contact Info:
- Email: amber@amberboydtherapy.com
- Website: http://www.amberboydtherapy.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/healingthroughauthenticity
- Facebook: facebook.com/healingthroughauthenticity
- Other: https://anchor.fm/amber715
Image Credits
Professional Photos: AM Photography HTX
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