Amy Dols
Amy Dols
MA LPCC LADC
Coach
Practicing since: 2012
Previous roles:
Licensed psychotherapist (LPCC, LADC), board-certified clinical supervisor, and behavioral health leader with experience in mental health, addiction treatment, clinical operations, and healthcare systems.
Senior vice president of operations at an IOP mental health org; professional board member for my licensing board; experience in consulting, training, and presenting at various organizations and events.
Founding member of the Northland Mental Health Consortium; a multidisciplinary group focused on expanding behavioral healthcare access in rural Minnesota.
In addition to my master’s degree in clinical counseling, I’ve completed advanced training through CIIS, as well as a certificate in healthcare management from the University of Minnesota.
Mobile / Off-Site, In Person, & Virtual
Identity & Self-Understanding
Purpose & Meaning
Relationships
Lifestyle & Behavior Change
Who I Work With
I enjoy working with people who are figuring out who they are and what they want, personally, spiritually, and relationally. People who may be chronically single or socially isolated, and want to peel back the layers to understand what may be getting in the way of meeting people or creating intimacy, and to explore who they are from the foundation so they can enter their next relationships with greater self-awareness, confidence, and authenticity. I’m also drawn to people who are hungry for a paradigm shift in how they experience being human; people who may have the insight and resources to build a fulfilling life but struggle to translate that into action. And people who are moving through a significant shift in identity, whether that’s professional (like clinician to manager), personal (like entering new motherhood), or spiritual (when long-held beliefs are challenged or their inner life begins to feel different), and want support making sense of and integrating who they are becoming. I like working with people who are curious, willing to go deep, and open to exploring the annoying, uncomfortable, meaningful, and sometimes weird parts of being alive.
About Me
I come from a big Korean Italian family, which means food, noise, laughter, gifts, and gatherings. I love group dynamics and believe deeply in the power of community. Being biracial has also taught me to live comfortably in the gray; to notice nuance, hold multiple perspectives, and resist overly simple answers.
I’ve experienced what it means to exist on the margins of different identities, which has shaped my pull toward the underground, the underdog, and the underserved. I’m drawn to what gets overlooked and curious about what happens beneath the surface. I tend to look for beauty everywhere and experience the world in a highly sensory way.
I’ve always been fascinated by how systems work. That curiosity has taken me from a primarily clinical perspective into organizational leadership, healthcare systems, and broader questions about public and human health. I’m interested in the ways individuals, families, communities, and systems shape one another, and in what becomes possible when we are willing to look beyond the obvious.
What We Work On
Life Transitions
Decision-Making
Communication
Self-Esteem & Confidence
Work-Life Integration
Habits & Behavior Change
How I Work
I’m highly curious and like to follow the trails that emerge in session, allowing our work to be exploratory, creative, and sometimes unconventional. I’m fascinated by how our past experiences shape the ways we see ourselves and the world. Together, we can identify the programming that no longer serves us, peel back the layers, and reconnect with the values underneath it all; the things that give life meaning and purpose.
I’m not afraid of the big questions, a little irreverence, or calling bullshit on expectations that keep us stuck. My worldview is rooted in connection, collectivism, humility, and a matriarchal philosophy: protect the children and most vulnerable, collaborate rather than compete, and revere the natural world. I believe we each have an inner healing intelligence, and that beauty, play, and a little romance with life matter.
Where I’m Not a Fit
I’m probably not the best fit for people looking primarily for career coaching, executive coaching, performance optimization, or strategies for becoming more successful, competitive, or “the best.” I’m less interested in helping people maximize themselves and more interested in helping them understand themselves.
Outside the Practice
I’m a mom to two dynamic, hilarious, cheeky kids and a new dog who is forcing me to dust off my behaviorism skills from my early clinician days. I spend a lot of time looking up at trees, taking care of those dear to me, and moving my body (yoga, tennis, the occasional brutal exercise class, biking, frantically running around the house because I’m late). I cook as a way of expressing love, listen to audiobooks while I clean, travel often, frequent events and restaurants with my coven of women friends, and spend all the in-between times with my partner with whom I analyze the absurdity of life. I’m happiest when I’m riffing with good people, gazing at the sky, or tucked into a deeply cozy situation.