Amy Santana

Amy Santana is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor located in Boston, MA. She specializes in working with BIWOC and LGBTQ individuals who are navigating identity-based trauma, relational trauma, and the impact of complex childhoods. Amy supports young adults and adults who are self-proclaimed people-pleasers and deep feelers who have a tendency to not ask for help due to not wanting to be a burden.

Amy utilizes Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy and parts work, which helps clients address concerns by viewing beliefs and patterns as inherently self-protective. She is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, a modality that has clinical evidence supporting it as an effective intervention for those with trauma, and uses this to frame her work. Amy helps clients build resources and process painful memories from their past so they can feel more agency and groundedness in the present. She also incorporates Brainspotting, a focused mindfulness technique that processes experiences using body sensations. Clients increase awareness and connection to their bodies, themselves, and those around them while moving toward greater healing.

Amy earned a Master’s degree from Lesley University and has over 10 years of experience in the mental health field. Her work has predominantly been with LGBTQ survivors of violence, including same-sex partner abuse and individuals seeking asylum. She spent two years working in college counseling centers, with a focus on the needs of BIPOC students. Amy welcomes those who may have tried therapy in the past but have been unsuccessful and especially enjoys working with eldest children, first-gen/children of immigrants, and young professionals who were the first in their families to attend college. She provides a space that is nurturing and playful, where each individual can bring their full self without explanation.