Meet Amanda Boerboom, MSE, LPC-IT, SEP, E-RYT (she/her)
Licensed Professional Counselor | Somatic, Grief, and Life Transition Therapy in Madison, WI
When You’re Doing All the Right Things but Still Feel Stuck
From the outside, your life may look pretty good. You’re doing all the things. But inside, you feel numb, empty, or disconnected, and you’re not sure how you got here. You might even catch yourself thinking, “I don’t know who I am or what I want anymore.”
Many of the women I work with are mothers, from new moms to those in the thick of raising kids to those finding their footing after kids leave home, sometimes while perimenopause changes how they feel in their bodies.
I also work with men and dads who feel the same gap between how life looks and how it feels.
You might tell yourself, “Logically, I know what I need to do, but I can’t get myself to make a change,” and then blame yourself for not doing enough or not feeling more grateful. You might worry your struggle isn’t “big enough” for therapy, or that something in you is broken. It isn’t. The ways you’ve adapted made sense once, even if they don’t serve you now. Together, we can find new ones that fit who you are today.
A Wider Lens on What You’re Feeling
I’m compassionate and curious, and I bring humor into the room, too. I believe you’re already whole. My role is to offer a wider perspective and reflect back the wisdom you already have, so you can learn to trust yourself.
In our first few sessions, we’ll build a foundation together at a manageable pace. We’ll begin noticing what’s happening in your body and learning to track your nervous system.
I don’t see emotional distress as a personal defect. It’s often a reasonable response to power imbalances and unjust conditions in the world around you. You can expect to be believed and understood here, without being labeled “crazy” or “overreacting.”
My areas of focus include:
Insight matters, but you can’t always think your way out of what you’re feeling. Sometimes you have to feel your way through. I bring evidence-based therapy together with the wisdom of the body.
- Somatic and body-based therapy: I use Somatic Experiencing to help you notice what your body is holding and build capacity to move through stress, trauma, and overwhelm. This can be especially helpful for dads and partners who want to learn emotional regulation skills they didn’t learn growing up.
- Grief: Space for men and women to tend to loss of all kinds, including losing touch with yourself. I believe grief work can lead back to joy, pleasure, and play.
- Tweens and teens: Body-based support for kids 10 and older, helping them understand big feelings, manage stress, and feel more at home in themselves.
- Motherhood and midlife transitions: Support for moms from new motherhood through the years after kids leave home, including perimenopause.
I also work with children 10 and older, adults, and couples on concerns such as anxiety, depression, trauma, parenting, relationships, and identity. My approach draws on somatic parts work, polyvagal-informed practices, mindfulness, movement, and breathwork.
Signs Therapy Is Starting to Help
You might feel more grounded or better able to handle something that once overwhelmed you. Over time, you may find a deeper sense of agency, self-compassion, self-acceptance, and worthiness.
Healing isn’t a finish line. Understanding your patterns can help you make choices rooted in your values and a deeper sense of self-love.
What Keeps Me Connected to This Work
I spent 14 years as a teacher, working with students, parents, and families, followed by a decade as a somatic coach and yoga instructor. Through it all, I’ve been drawn to holistic care and human growth. What keeps me connected to this work is my belief that people can become their most authentic selves.
Kids and cats are my greatest teachers. They’ve shown me that control is an illusion. They aren’t afraid to be who they are or say what they want, and they have great boundaries.
Amanda’s Education, License & Training
Education
- Master of Science in Education (MSE), Clinical Mental Health Counseling, University of Wisconsin-Superior (2025)
- Bachelor of Science in Education (BSE), University of Wisconsin-Madison (1999)
Licenses
- Licensed Professional Counselor in Training (LPC-IT), Wisconsin
Selected Trainings and Certifications
- Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP)
- Somatic Parts Work, Levels I, II, and III
- Polyvagal Theory for Embodied Trauma Recovery
- Movement for Trauma, Level I, Jane Clapp
- Mindful Grieving Group Facilitator
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Integrative Somatic Parts Work, Levels I, II, and III, The Embody Lab
- VITA Relationship Coach Certification
- Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT 200)
- Emotion-Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) with Sue Johnson
- Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT), training in progress
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), training in progress
- Ongoing training in trauma resolution, perinatal mental health, and perimenopause
- Week-long professional development intensive on white privilege
- Continued coursework in diversity, inclusion, antiracism, and LGBTQ+ affirming care
