Many believe expressing your feelings is a sign of weakness, creating a stigma surrounding mental health. However, the exact opposite is true! Knowing when to ask for help shows courage, strength, and wisdom. Physical and emotional health are tightly intertwined. When we know precisely what is wrong, we can face the problem head-on, allowing us to see firsthand that knowledge is power!
I was first introduced to depression and anxiety through a wiry, slightly rumpled, highly cantankerous psychology professor when I was only 19 years old. I will never forget that lecture as long as I live. As he presented the 'day’s topic,' he peered intently around the room as if he could read our very thoughts. Then, he threw down his book and left the room without warning, leaving us there in stunned silence. After what seemed like an hour (probably only five minutes), he returned with 25 lb. weights strapped to each arm and leg and a pack filled with two 50 lbs. fastened to his back. As he began to lecture, he proceeded to pace up and down each row of the classroom. He was not a young man, and as he talked, he became winded and was forced to stop and catch his breath. He was an excellent orator, by history, but on this day, he seemed entirely out of his comfort zone. He was confused, preoccupied, stressed, and somewhat fragile. As the class concluded and we began to slowly make our way to the door, the professor said, “Oh, and by the way, living with depression and anxiety is much like trying to do a simple daily task with over 200 lbs. of weight strapped to your very soul. Now, go and have a good evening.”
Having struggled with depression and anxiety throughout my adult life, and now as a counselor, I will have to say that the professor’s illustration was prophetically spot on! In fact, it was brilliant!
Client Focus
Session Format: Group, Individual sessions.
Age Specialty: Adult, Teen, Young Adult
Languages: English
Treatment Approach
- Adlerian
- Art Therapy
- Christian
- Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
- Developmental
- Existential/Humanistic
- Gestalt
- Integrative
- Neuropsychology
- Person-Centered
- Psychoanalytic
- Rational-Emotive
Approach Description: My integrated counseling philosophy rests upon the pillars brought forth by Dr. Carl Rogers, a founder of the original humanistic counseling philosophy. He once said, “It is the client who knows what hurts, what directions to go, what problems are crucial, what experiences have been deeply buried.” Therefore, the counseling relationship is composed of warmth, responsiveness, and unconditional positive regard. My initial desire is to meet the client where they are and begin to work toward a common goal.
To further solidify my approach, I refer to a quote by Emery Lord, "My dark days made me strong- Or maybe I was already strong, and the darkness made me prove it." I believe that we are each gifted with an inner strength that simply needs to be discovered. I have watched as my clients, who feel genuinely heard and understood, begin to possess a clarity of thought that empowers insight and growth.
Education & Credentials
Amy L. Holdbrooks, LLC MA, NCC, ALC, BSW
- Female
- License # Alabama C4020A
- Licensed in Alabama
- Practicing Since 2018
Education: University of the Cumberlands [Williamsburg, Kentucky] CACREP Accredited
Master of Arts
GPA ~ 4.0
Chi Sigma Iota [Honor Society]
The University of North Alabama [Florence, Alabama]
Bachelor of Science: Social Work & Psychology
Phi Alpha Honor Society in Social Work / Psi Chi, Honor Psy
Finances
Fees
- Average Session Fee $100
- Affordable sliding scale therapy: apply if you may be eligible.
- The price is negotiable and based on income.
- Accepts Insurance
- Insurance: I do not bill insurance directly, however, I will provide an Invoice and Diagnostic Impression Code, at the time of service upon the receipt of payment.
Amy L. Holdbrooks, LLC Practice Details
Therapy Sessions
- Available In-Person in Decatur, AL 35601 and Huntsville, AL 35802
- Available Online for residents of Alabama
- Online Therapy Details: Offering online therapy through Zoom~ A secure, reliable, video platform which provides superior picture quality and sound.
Set on the banks of the beautiful Tennessee River, Decatur, Alabama, is home to my private practice, which serves pre-teens through adults. As your therapist, my mission is to create a place of solace, comfort, security, and privacy, a setting that lends itself to building a relationship of solidarity and mutual respect. My office overlooks Historic Bank Street, with antique shops, restaurants, and stately two-hundred-year-old buildings. Just as the area inspires hospitality and warmth, my desire is to pass this same sense of refinement and attention to detail on to you.
I have developed my practice on core Christian principles that I now understand because of my history of post-partum depression and anxiety. I feel authentically loved and understood when Christ shares his sufferings of sadness, sorrow, betrayal, and grief in passages like John 11:33-35 and Matthew 26:38-40. Not only does Christ empathically understand our despair, but he also lived it. My sense of self-worth and strength comes from Christ's suffering, the most agonizing and painful death (1 Peter 2:24), not because he deserved it but because he loved me. For this reason, God's saving work is infallible; the links in the chain are forever unbroken (Piper, 2007).
As a long-term Psychiatric Social Worker and now as a Clinical Mental Health Counselor, I have worked with clients who were so bogged down in feelings of hopelessness and despair that they could not put together the words to form a coherent sentence. As someone who has also struggled with this same sense of darkness, I am not only a therapist but a Christian. I ruminate and pray for each of my clients daily. I call them by name and share their private pain with Christ. No matter the source of your faith and hope, we are all equally walking through this life together.
Piper, J. (2013). Five points toward a deeper experience of God’s grace. Christian Focus
Publication Ltd. ISBN 978-1-78191-252-2.