Today we’d like to introduce you to Amber McKinney-Morgan
Hi Amber, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My journey began looking out the window onto a littered highway. At 12-years-old, wide-eyed, I took in an elderly man in tattered clothing pushing a cart along the freeway. It inspired young me to journal and reflect, “What can I do about this?” At 13-years-old, after a traumatic event, I once again found myself asking that same question as I was sitting in a room with a therapist and a one-way mirror knowing I was being interviewed. My mind filled with wonder as I mused, “people can do this for work?”
Fast-forward some years, after experiencing homelessness myself as a Transitional Aged Youth (TAY) at both 13 and 17-years-old, I devoted my life’s work to serving others. I climbed my way out of being unhoused, obtaining two jobs at 17 and went to community college to obtain my associates degree in social and behavioral sciences. From there, my career took off as a young, and very green, counselor to foster children placed in group homes. One day, a social worker approached me and felt called to inform me the place would be closing due to abuse but that she saw how much I cared and wanted to let me know there was more out there. “Licensed Clinical Social Worker,” I wondered, but I wasn’t quite there yet.
I stayed there for three years before moving on to work two jobs, one with differently-abled children and adults for the City of San Diego and the other at a children’s hospital on the inpatient psychiatric unit. All this, while also balancing undergraduate studies. As a budding social worker, the end of my college career marked the start of my trip to China to work with government-displaced low-income populations.
Upon my return to the states, I took a year off to focus on myself and my residual trauma with some therapists that were monumental in moving me forward. I began to learn, “my mom just wasn’t moody because she hated me, she had a condition.” Slowly, like taking rocks one-by-one out of a backpack, I began to unpack and make sense of things I had been carrying for a lifetime.
It was then that I decided I was ready for the final stage in my educational journey and I went to graduate school to obtain my Masters in Social Work. I was thrilled. I worked with the very population I had once been apart of. First starting with adults experiencing homelessness and then, upon graduating, with Transitional Aged Youth (TAY) experiencing homelessness. I was filled up inside as I was handed the opportunity to establish a structure for the large grant of Youth Emergency (YE) funds devoted to getting unhoused youth off of the streets.
My life’s work at this time consisted of contacting and developing rapport with youth experiencing co-occurring conditions, sometimes working overnight, to aid in stabilizing and then advocating for their shelter. I grew and became a commonly known name in this sector up until I was fully licensed. From there, I branched off and started my own private practice which is where I’m at today.
Amber McKinney Licensed Clinical Social Worker Professional Corporation is a company that provides therapy services throughout the states of California, Iowa and Oregon. Ours is a practice specializes in a holistic approach. I strongly believe that therapy is not a fast-food service or a one-size-fits-all model. Throughout my career in working for others I came to see over and over again the fragmented services that called for sending people in dire need to five different places for five different needs, which can be not only confusing but re-traumatizing to a person who has to relive their trauma repeatedly amongst strangers just to receive support.
As a result, I became specialized in an array of approaches to meet a wide-range of client needs. These approaches include Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), The Gottman Method couples therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Somatic Experiencing (SE), Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), Sex Therapy, Eating Disorder Therapy and more. Our goal is to provide a one-stop shop, holisitic and systemic approach. True to the social worker roots that I came from, I believe that our environment can directly impact our situation. That includes our physical, social, financial and other environments. In my approach, I look at the person’s entire ecosystem to see how things are coming into play. I look at the client as a collaborator, where we both hold expertise. After all, the client know themselves best in how they best learn and receive information and I take that into consideration in tailoring my approach to meet their needs.
Through the obstacles, I prevailed and now I get to travel and train with the likes of professional like Dr. Richard C. Schwartz, Peter Levine and more, soaking in knowledge and bringing it back to the populations I serve.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road was definitely not smooth. Since I decided this was my life’s work as a child I overcame various obstacles including being unhoused, being a first-generation college student, working 2-3 jobs while in school, working through my own traumas, and more.
Being a first-gen college student, I lacked the support and infrastructure to open a business on my own. I worked a minimum wage job, took up a job on the side, and with the support of loved ones I was able to push through.
In addition, due to my own lived experiences, I faced some barriers in becoming licensed. While I understand the necessity of such steps and processes, these too were additional barriers. Armored with my passion, persistence, and resilience I withstood. I invested tens of thousands of dollars to go through the process and came out on the other end.
I endured learning curves as far as learning the business aspect of running a practice. I wouldn’t take any of it back. I’ve learned so much. Having my own practice is my lifelong love.
Was it worth it? Absolutely. 110 percent.
As you know, we’re big fans of Amber McKinney Licensed Clinical Social Worker Professional Corporation. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Amber McKinney Licensed Clinical Social Worker Professional Corporation is a therapy business that is known for it’s holistic approach to care. It specializes in an array of approaches to meet a wide-range of client needs. These approaches include Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), The Gottman Method couples therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Somatic Experiencing (SE), Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), Sex Therapy, Eating Disorder Therapy, Celebrity Therapy, Hypnosis and more.
Our goal is to provide a one-stop shop, holistic and systemic approach. True to the social worker roots that I came from, I believe that our environment can directly impact our situation. That includes our physical, social, financial and other environments. In my approach, I look at the person’s entire ecosystem to see how things are coming into play. I look at the client as a collaborator, where we both hold expertise. After all, the client know themselves best in how they best learn and receive information and I take that into consideration in tailoring my approach to meet their needs.
Amber works from the lens of providing the quality of care she would want her loved ones to receive from other services. Operating from her own lived experience, Amber has a unique insight into the current existing gaps within systems and works to fill these gaps with the services she provides.
The practice offers flexible session frequencies, durations and times including multiple-weekly, bi-weekly, monthly and weekend-long intensive sessions. Pebbles, the Therapup, or Jax, the Theracat are available in-session upon request.
We also have a Therapy Fund to support equal access to quality care.
Lastly, since opening her thriving practice, Amber has gone on to coach other clinicians/coaches in the field aspiring towards similar models of care. Amber provides consultation services for clinicians looking to open their own practice or work under Amber’s practice. Amber also provides general consultation for those seeking feedback on their approach with couples and individuals in both group and individual format. Amber is also an EMDRIA-approved consultant to those looking become certified in EMDR or to become an EMDRIA-approved consultants-in-training internationally.
Amber McKinney Licensed Clinical Social Worker Professional Corporation offers services not only in the beautiful city of Los Angeles, but California statewide, in addition to Iowa and Oregon!
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love, love, love Los Angeles. There’s SO MUCH opportunity and so many beautiful, artistic, resilient souls. It’s a city rich in history, in pain and overcoming. There are so many beautiful pockets of the world to get lost in all in one city. You’ve just got to be present and tap in.
It absolutely breaks my heart to see the housing crisis spiraling out of control as much as its been; however, this is also the fuel that inspires me to continue to make my life’s work larger, better and greater. Also, traffic isn’t my most favorite thing either.
Pricing:
- Please reach out directly, as various options are available depending on services needed.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ambermckinney.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ambermckinneymorganlcsw
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmberMcKinneyLCSW/
- LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/ambermckinneymorgan/
- Other: https://www.ambermckinney.com/therapy-fund
Image Credits
B. Merrick Photography
