Amber Riley, MA, MFT

Clinical Therapist

We all have a story to tell. Sometimes it seems we get lost in the details and instead of being able to control how the story goes, we allow the story to detail our reality. After all, experience is a strong teacher, and it is a powerful enforcer when it comes to how individuals relate to everyday life. My goal as a counselor is to show clients how to take change into their own hands to tear down problematic scenarios and rebuild new stories that create a healthy home and atmosphere where they can reach their full potential of being a healthy, functional couple and/or family.  
 
 I have years of experience working with and mentoring youth, young adults, and couples from various backgrounds and different stages of need through church and other non-profit organizations. I expanded on these skills through education which has helped me realize that I naturally possess the skills needed to be successful in the effective counsel of my clients. Helping others is more than my passion but a calling and my purpose.   
 
I earned my Master of Arts Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, specializing in Couple Therapy, at Northcentral University. I also hold a Bachelor of Science Degree in Health Care Management from Franklin University and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Full Sail University.   
 
My approach to counseling is systemic. This means that rather than seeing an individual as a problem, I work with my clients to uncover patterns in their familial networks that may have fostered the undesirable behaviors they now want to confront. I utilize interventions from models such as Narrative Therapy, Gottman, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Bowen and Structural Family Therapy, among others.  I specialize in blended families, realizing they are not comprised the same as the traditional family and have specialized needs for healthy functioning.

I specialize in blended families, realizing they are not comprised the same as the traditional family and have specialized needs for healthy functioning.