Amanda Trysten Tarpley grew up in Irvine, California, and graduated from the University of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in International Relations. Prior to earning her master’s degree in Counseling Psychology, she volunteered for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and pursued a career as an educator, earning her teaching credential from California State University, Fullerton. She went on to obtain a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from National University with a dual emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy and Professional Clinical Counseling. In 2009, she gained experience interning for the Orange County Children and Youth Behavioral Health in the Clinical Evaluation and Guidance Unit (CEGU) during her first year in her master’s program. In 2013, she began her clinical work at Turning Point Center for Families in Santa Ana, working with a diverse population. In 2014, she began working at Amen Clinics, Inc. and, in her words, “has gained and continues to gain invaluable knowledge and experience while working there.” She has obtained her 3000 hours and is in the process of applying for her Marriage and Family Therapist license (LMFT) and Professional Clinical Counseling license (LPCC).
With over ten years of experience, Amanda is passionate about psychology, the therapeutic process, and understanding the human condition. Amanda sees relationships to be central to how we understand our world, gain meaning and provide purpose and believes positive and honest relationships, including the therapeutic relationship, allow for healing and growth. In therapy, she is not a remote observer in the room, rather an active and accessible person with the people she works with and strives to develop honest therapeutic relationships while helping her patients achieve their goals. Amanda enjoys working with a wide variety of patients using the treatment modalities best for a specific individual or situation, including cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), existentialism, humanism, Gestalt, narrative/solution-focused, family systems theory, and psychodynamic, the latter because although Amanda does not get “stuck” in the past, she believes it is a good reference point for understanding and healing.