Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Bruce, LMHC.
Amanda, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
When I was growing up, my mother would tell me stories about working as an aide at the Fernald State School in the late 1960’s. It sounded heartbreaking, so I pursued a career in musical theater instead. After that didn’t work out – shocking, I know – I realized her stories and compassionate way of life had left a significant imprint on me. I knew I wanted to help people to find their truth, but I also wanted to somehow intertwine my love of the arts into it. I also love to write and consider it to be an extremely effective therapeutic tool, personally. Writing was instrumental in recovering from my own mental health struggles, and I wanted to help others do the same.
I was stumped, until I found Lesley’s Expressive Therapies Master’s Program. It was there where I met my business partner, Dana Venable. We both worked at an outpatient mental health clinic out of grad school, until she had the ingenious idea of owning a business ourselves. We started with one office in Wakefield, MA that was shared by three therapists, and now we are opening another branch of our company in Georgetown, MA, where I will be the chief operating officer! It has been an honor to work with such strong, competent colleagues, and a community that believes in empowering others. I can’t wait to bring that to Georgetown.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been scary and challenging, but anything worth doing is out of our comfort zone, right? I have been so lucky to work with colleagues who have conquered new challenges beside me, have understood the process of trial and error, and have engendered my inner leader qualities.
I think the biggest struggle (which isn’t necessarily a struggle) is learning the administrative side of our job. The client work is so wonderful – getting to see people gain self-esteem or recover from addictions is powerful. The marketing side? Doesn’t come so naturally to a woman who’d rather work with someone one-on-one. But I’m getting there. Plus, there are countless details you don’t think about when you start the work of becoming a mental health counselor – credentialing people with insurance companies, explanations of benefits, the list goes on. But again, I’ve been blessed with co-workers who are learning beside me.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Counseling Services of Greater Boston – what should we know?
Counseling Services of Greater Boston, LLC of Wakefield and Georgetown provides compassionate, healing outpatient mental health counseling to the North Shore. We see a variety of populations – children, adolescents, adults, families and couples. We have offered groups in the past and have a registered dance and art therapist on staff, in addition to a licensed social worker and mental health counselors. I specialize in eating disorders and addiction, but also enjoy working to help teens gain self-esteem.
On this past Martin Luther King JR Day, Counseling Services of Greater Boston received the Wakefield Human Rights Commission Group Service Award. I was so proud to accept this award on behalf of our company, as we’ve put our heart into it for the past four years. We are a group of women who genuinely care about our community, and were excited to meet other members of the community who received this award for their service.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Ambition. Without a doubt. There’s a reason I’m a therapist – I did not receive the best grades in math and I’m not the most tech-savvy person. But the most persistent, driven individual cannot be stopped, despite their bad statistics grades in grad school or their penchant for writing things down instead of using an app. When you have a strong work ethic, people notice.
Compassion. I know what it’s like to be on the other side of the therapy chair, and I genuinely care about my client’s well-being and process. I get really excited for clients when they are able to be assertive with a family member or are able to put down an unhealthy behavior. I hope my love of the process shows through.
Contact Info:
- Address: Counseling Services of Greater Boston, Georgetown
64 Central Street,
Georgetown, MA 01833 - Website: www.CSGBoston.com
- Phone: (781) 328-1904 x103
- Email: info@csgboston.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/csgboston/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CounselingServicesOfGreaterBoston/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/csgreaterboston/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/counseling-services-of-greater-boston-wakefield-2
- Other: : https://www.pinterest.com/CSGBoston/
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