The department of Psychological Sciences is proud to highlight Amanda Lynn Johnston as the Alumni of the Month for November. Amanda graduated with a B. A. in Psychology from Daemen in 2010 and has been busy building her career ever since! She completed her Masters in Mental Health Counseling from Medaille College in 2013, and began working for Catholic Charities as a therapist soon after. As a Multisystemic (MST) therapist, Amanda worked with families of at-risk youth who displayed oppositional defiant and conduct disorder behavior in order to prevent further court involvement, detentions, and placement outside the home. Her ultimate goal in working with these populations was to keep young people in their own homes where they can thrive with their family, by providing support and developing behavioral interventions that reduce behavioral concerns. In addition to MST training, Amanda was also trained in Cognitive-Behavioral approaches (CBT), solution-focused approaches, behavioral modification, and contingency management to address substance use.
Amanda recently opened her own private practice in Hamburg, where she can serve a wider population, but still focus on her passion supporting children and families. She finds supporting families rewarding in a way that nothing else can provide for her. In her words, “something about watching a family go from feeling hopeless to empowered and knowing you supported them through that journey is very inspirational - you know you really made a huge impact in their lives.”
Amanda notes that Daemen gave her the foundation to be successful. She entered Daemen with a different major, but after meeting and talking with a couple professors in the department, she changed her path and received guidance every step of the way. Amanda was thrilled to find that in her Masters’ program, she had knowledge and experience in areas others did not as a result of her undergraduate coursework. This helped her excel in her graduate program because she was able to focus more on the clinical areas because her education in the psychological sciences department at Daemen had already provided a solid foundation for her graduate work. In addition to running her own private practice, Amanda recently accepted a position as a HARP care manager with Fidelis Care. We could not be more proud of all Amanda has accomplished since graduating from our program!