Amy Abernathy, Intern MFT

Amy Abernathy, Intern MFT
(859) 699-6526
1holisticmft@gmail.com

I believe some of the most important conversations we have are the ones we are most afraid to begin. Therapy should be a place where you can bring your whole self: the love and the loss, the relationships that nourish you and the ones that leave you wondering what on earth just happened, the shame, grief, trauma, sexuality, identity, fear, anger, hope, and questions you may not feel comfortable asking anywhere else. There are very few subjects I consider too dark, too intimate, or too complicated to approach with curiosity and compassion. And when there is room for it, I believe laughter belongs in the therapy room, too. At the center of my work is a belief that has shaped much of my life: Love is an action, not a constant state of enthusiasm.

Loving ourselves and loving other people well does not always feel comfortable. Sometimes love looks like tenderness and connection. Sometimes it looks like telling the truth, setting a boundary, having the conversation we would rather avoid, grieving what cannot be changed, or choosing a different response to an old pattern. I am interested in helping people develop a more conscious and compassionate relationship with themselves and become more intentional in the ways they love, communicate with, and respond to the people who matter to them. One question I return to often is deceptively simple: What would love do here? As a life and executive coach for over 20 years, I have learned that knowledge doesn’t change behavior. Systems do. And now, living my dream as a Marriage and Family Therapy intern working toward licensure as a therapist, I approach people systemically. That means I am interested not only in what is happening within you, but also in the relationships, families, experiences, cultures, and larger systems that have helped shape your story. I work with individuals, couples, and families from an experiential, trauma-informed, and attachment- focused perspective while recognizing that no single therapeutic model fits every person, couple, or family. Therapy should fit the people in the room, not require the people in the room to fit the therapy. I see therapy as serious work, but I don't believe serious work requires us to be serious every minute. I value authenticity, courage, humor, lifelong learning, and the kind of curiosity that allows us to look at even the hardest parts of our lives without reducing ourselves to them. You don’t have to arrive with the right words, a tidy explanation, or everything figured out.

We can get curious together.