We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Amber Baack a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Amber, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Is there a heartwarming story from your career that you look back on?
My career in Social Work has always been centered on connecting with others, especially in difficult times or circumstances. While there can be many hard moments, I have found that I have learned so much from witnessing the beauty that can exist amidst the stress in people’s lives. One particular moment stands out to me from when I worked for an organization supporting newly arrived refugee individuals and families. A client I was working with at that time was dealing with many challenges in their life which caused them constant anxiety. We met regularly and began to get to know one another better over the course of many months. On a particularly difficult day, we were driving to an appointment together and they asked if we could turn on the R.E.M. song, “Everybody Hurts”. Instead of just sitting in the pain they were experiencing, we rolled down the windows of the car and sang the lyrics as loud as possible down the streets of Denver. The client’s problems were not gone nor was their life necessarily easier, but we were able to share an authentic moment together as human beings and they left that day with a smile instead of tears.
Amber, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with my Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Social Work. My experiences range from managing and instructing youth programming and experiential nature programs, to guiding multi-day group camping and backpacking trips, to supporting newly resettled refugee families in navigating crises and mental health. I have also worked with adults in intensive outpatient mental health treatment in a nature-based setting. All of these experiences have led me to the work I am currently doing as an individual and group therapist in private practice, primarily focused on nature-based, relational, and holistic care for mental health. I absolutely love getting to bring nature, mind, and body together in individual and group therapy sessions, whether in an office, on a trail, or on a farm, and being able to witness the positive impact it has on people’s overall well-being. I currently hold individual therapy sessions for clients navigating self-esteem, life transitions, identity, anxiety, and depression where we meet indoors and outdoors using somatic, cognitive, and nature-based work. I also currently have the incredible opportunity to partner with a practitioner from All in Bloom Therapy, Haley Lafferty, for outdoor workshops focused on boundary setting and with Light Root Community Farm to facilitate a therapeutic farm-based group for adults. My main goal in my work is to meet people where they are at, to connect to a bigger picture and the Earth, and to support people in healing and moving forward in the journey of their life.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
In my field, there can be a lot of pressure and narratives to “fix” situations, lives, and systems. This can lead to hustling, burnout, and making assumptions about what other people may need. Also, as someone who identifies as a white, cisgender, woman, I learned narratives that can be harmful, especially across gender, identity, and racial differences. The unlearning that I am doing will probably take a life time and it is an unlearning focused on slowing down, listening before assuming, and not trying to “fix” others or caretaking. It also entails doing a great deal of unlearning and relearning about the Western narratives around gender, race, sexuality, and culture, to name a few, and the impact these have on my own beliefs, behaviors, and the way that I show up in the world. The unlearning and relearning process is about how to be authentic, how to be humble, how to respond versus react, and how to continue to listen to the people around me who know more about their own experiences than I ever could, especially around their identities and the impact of systemic oppression and beliefs.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
Outside of training, I think the most helpful thing for success in my field is meeting people where they are at and being open to constantly learning, growing, and changing as a practitioner and person. Working with people requires flexibility and openness, and I genuinely believe that the relational element of being a Social Worker and therapist is the most important piece of the work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.inthealpenglowtherapy.com
- Instagram: @inthealpenglowtherapy
Image Credits
Annelise (Annie) Loughead (Annelise Sarah)