Amanda (she/her) is profoundly drawn to exploring the connection between music, performance, and our brains. And as a recovering perfectionist herself, she is specifically interested in why brains sometimes won’t allow us to do what we practiced when it counts.

During her clinical training to become a therapist, Amanda felt she would have been a much more effective musician, learner, and performer if she had this knowledge during her time as an undergrad music student. Now she’s determined to help musicians access that information, because auditions don’t just take a toll on opportunities, they take a toll on the people auditioning, too.

Amanda believes in compassionate education, self-acceptance, and the importance of unlearning negative inner beliefs often associated with formal music training.

Amanda is a licensed clinical therapist. Services at Tuning In are not therapy, but they are informed by Amanda’s therapeutic practice to ensure each session is tailored with evidence-based techniques specifically for you. These services are not intended to replace mental health treatment.

Amanda earned her bachelor’s degree in Music Education at DePaul University. As a music teacher, she became frustrated by the disparity of resources and education inequity across Chicago’s neighborhoods, prompting her to pursue her master’s degree in Social Work from Loyola University Chicago. Amanda maintains an active clinical social work license (LCSW) in both Texas and Illinois, an Illinois educator license, and is trained in Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (Level One).

When she’s not working, you can find Amanda embroidering, spending time with her two pugs (Nugget and Beef!), or in the audience at the Houston Symphony.