More About Amanda
Education
Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, MFT (2025) Palo Alto University | Palo Alto, CA
EDSE Certified Sex Educator (2021) Everyone Deserves Sex Ed., Comprehensive, justice-oriented training in human sexuality using an intersectional lens, centering empathy, inclusive language, and the impact of power and privilege on identity.
Master of Arts in Art History (2015) George Washington University | Washington, DC
Bachelor of Arts in Art History & Sociology (2011) Maryville College | Maryville, TN
Clinical & Professional Counseling Experience
Practicum Therapist
The Diversity Center of Santa Cruz | Sept 2024 – Aug 2025
• Deliver affirming therapy for LGBTQIA2+ and neurodivergent adults, integrating narrative, expressive, and somatic practices.
• Conduct clinical assessments, develop treatment plans, and maintain thorough documentation.
• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to create trauma-informed, culturally responsive programming.
• Engage in weekly supervision and reflective consultation to strengthen clinical skill, ethical practice, and professional alignment.
Group Facilitation & Community Programming
- NeuroQueer Adult Support Group — Designed and facilitated an 8-week telehealth support group for LGBTQIA2+ neurodivergent adults focused on identity exploration, nervous-system regulation, and community belonging.
- Queer Grief Collective — Co-created and co-facilitated two 10-week closed groups for LGBTQIA2+ adults navigating diverse forms of grief, integrating expressive arts, narrative practices, and somatic tools; culminated in a collective “Grief Tree” ritual.
- Winter Wellness Workshop — Developed and led a 90-minute seasonal workshop for older LGBTQIA2+ adults blending psychoeducation on nervous-system care with creative practices and resource-sharing to reduce winter isolation.
- Managing Anxiety in Uncertain Times — Facilitated a 75-minute workshop for LGBTQIA2+ adults using Narrative Therapy and Liberation Psychology to explore anxiety, agency, and collective care through a “Spheres of Control, Influence, and Resistance” mapping activity.
Co-Organizer & Presenter
Commitment to Counseling Virtual Symposium | Spring 2025
Affirming Therapy for Neurodivergent Adults: A Call for Inclusive Practice in Counselor Education
• Co-organized a session for a program-wide virtual symposium open to counseling students and alumni, supporting planning, coordination, and peer collaboration for an event centered on professional engagement, advocacy, and counseling scholarship.
• Designed and delivered a professional presentation on affirming therapy for neurodivergent adults, examining systemic barriers to care and offering inclusive, evidence-informed clinical and counselor-education practices.
• Developed visually accessible, neurodiversity-affirming presentation materials integrating education, narrative, and advocacy to model inclusive and ethically responsive counseling practice.
Prior Professional Experience
Manager of Digital Strategy
San José Museum of Art | 2019 – 2024
• Led cross-departmental initiatives integrating art, education, and technology with a focus on accessibility and inclusion.
• Directed strategic communications aligned with anti-oppressive, trauma-informed values to increase equitable access to cultural resources.
Podcast Co-Host & Producer
History is Gay Podcast | 2020 – 2022
• Researched, co-produced, and hosted episodes highlighting marginalized queer histories to support inclusive public education and community storytelling.
Amanda Helton, AMFT #160640 