Amber M. Keating, LCSW

08/19/2025

Apparently all of my posts are going to have song lyrics as titles because I’m so often inspired by music!

What does the comfort of numbness have to do with complex trauma, perfectionism, and healing? Hop on over to my Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/ambersaysshine/p/comfortably-numb

08/18/2025

In anti-racism and social justice work, self-love and soul care are core. On top of living our normal, busy lives, staying engaged takes a lot of emotional and mental energy. With rest, even in small increments, we rediscover the strength to continue opposing oppressive systems without losing joy, peace, and inner balance.

For Jen's tips on staying in the movement toward justice without burning out, open the 🔗 in the comments to her 2020 .

08/18/2025

Fun fact: upon looking up alternative phrases with the same meaning as “hustle and grind,” I found far too many search results exploring the differences between the words hustle & grind. That’s where this society is spending its energy?! I don’t care about the differences, just stop hustling & grinding!

(This was part of my process for writing my latest Substack on perfectionism and trauma healing: https://substack.com/; subscribe to be notified when it posts this week!)

Say yes to the mess! LCSW in CA and WA. A listener, laugher, and often angry. I write about the therapy biz, CPTSD, chronic pain/illness, neurodivergence, and queerness in a world trying to erase us. Posts ≠ therapy.

08/15/2025

Today's client wisdom nugget: "Narcissism is the s**t they should have taught us about in school, like instead of abstinence. I needed a how-to-cook class and how-to-spot-a-narc class and a budgeting class."

Why are we not teaching our kids this stuff?!? Is it because too many people are blind to narcissism? Is it because our culture is rather narcissistic? (I'm just saying, Manifest Destiny, slavery, and genocide all feel pretty damn narcissistic). Whyyyy?!?

08/15/2025

A Friday protest/breakup song for y'all, from Lord Huron’s new album. I heard this on 88.5 FM Radio the other day and instantly loved it! "You didn't see me coming, noooo, but you can watch me go." 💪

"Watch Me Go" by Lord Huron from the new album, 'The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1"Stream/download: https://lordhuron.lnk.to/cosmicselectorvol1Shop Lord Huron merch...

08/14/2025

Louder for the people in the back! 🎉

08/13/2025

I’ve been writing more and here’s what I hope is the first of many longer form offerings with my reflections after 23 years of clinical practice 💕 This is just the first paragraph, so check out the whole shebang here: https://substack.com/?r=621kq&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=profile

08/12/2025

This sounds like an incredible workshop!

08/08/2025

The opposite of dis-couraged is courage, but how can you refill that resource? Try co-operation, co-mmunity, co-hesion, co-llaboration. Their root is "co", as in together. For more on utilizing these skills, open the 🔗 in the comments to Jen's 2019 , and, if you can, support the work of the AoCC Community, choose the "Donate" link at our website while you're there!

08/08/2025

If you have a loved one who’s doing something not-so-great for them, plz note that shaming & giving advice don’t tend to work. We can’t toss advice at folx who don’t want it! They won’t listen!

Instead, ask about their concerns & desires re: their behavior, then reflect that back.

07/23/2025

I'm super excited to announce that I have renewed BOTH my state licenses (California & Washington) OVER A WEEK before the renewal is due. I don't even know who I am anymore 😂

07/22/2025

I just walked back into the kitchen, moments after heating up lunch, to find two drawers hanging open. I closed them, bc I'm not a monster. But this is totally how my brain works: one task jumps to another & as soon as something is out of sight, I no longer know it exists 😂