Exploring Life & Business with Amanda Kimbrell of Inward and Onward Therapy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Kimbrell, LPC, MHSP.

Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My story starts with a single mother struggling to overcome poverty and not having adequate family or emotional support.

My mother did the best that she could to make sure that our needs were met, and I did the best that I could to take advantage of what I could learn at school.

I didn’t know early on how important education would be to helping break the cycle of generational trauma at play in my family, but it turns out that it was crucial. Neither of my parents graduated from high school and both were estranged from their dysfunctional families. Because of this, learning to be independent and get by on my own became a way of life. This strategy was enough to get me through college at Vanderbilt University, but not enough to be successful in life.

Not knowing what to do after college brought me to get my therapy and then to starting a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. The process of doing my therapy work and getting more education helped me recover from some negative ideas about myself that had been influencing my life and find my purpose in life – helping others.

I have worked for about 20 years helping underserved and disadvantaged populations with mental health and substance use issues. Ten of those years were as a therapist. This work led me to understand how trauma underlies all of the issues that keep people from succeeding, both at a personal and systemic level.

With this understanding of trauma and its impacts, I have founded a business called, Inward and Onward Therapy. This business allows me to do what I love, working with individuals to heal emotional wounds and educate people on the impacts of trauma. Toward this goal, I have an online course addressing generational trauma which will be available this fall.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My biggest obstacles were related to socioeconomic issues and mental health issues. Neither of my parents graduated from high school and both suffered significant mental health issues.

These factors made rising out of poverty a significant challenge. The factors which helped me the most were receiving encouragement from teachers throughout my school years and being able to take advantage of opportunities that did present themselves.

Oftentimes, when people struggle with anxiety, depression, or other mental illness, the power of their negative thoughts prevents them from believing that they can rise above their circumstances. By focusing on the positive feedback that I occasionally received, I was able to keep pushing forward toward a better life.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I believe a happier world starts with calm, well-adjusted people, so I help parents who are struggling to remain calm and parent effectively, due to their own painful childhoods, go from stressed and overwhelmed to feeling in control; spending more confident, happy times with their children through relatable, supportive, one-on-one, trauma-focused therapy sessions.

People who benefit from my services tend to be millennials who have made as much progress as they can on their own and who reach out to me for guidance on this journey of recovery from childhood trauma.

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I have always loved doing in-person therapy, especially so in this age of telehealth. I have designed a cozy and calming office space designed to help people feel safe to explore hard things.

My other love is teaching people things that help them better understand themselves and the world. That’s where my online courses come in. I am currently working to create a series of online courses that will be available this fall.

My online learning community is called Leaning in Learning.

Pricing:

• $175/55 minute session

Contact Info:

• Website: https://inwardonwardtherapy.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.we.learn.in.therapy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090710017586
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-kimbrell-lpc-mhsp-131b4683/