Amanda Gerdts: Additional Information

Amanda helps with a wide range of mental health concerns such as (but not limited to) anxiety, depression, marital discord and care, trauma recovery, parenting, work and stress management. She has a passion for and high level of training and experience in working with couples toward health, healing, and connection. She also specializes in working with all types of trauma and knows first hand that recovery, hope, and resiliency are real! With compassion and understanding, she works with each individual to help them build on their strengths and attain the personal growth they are committed to accomplishing. Amanda is also the founder of Footnotes Trauma Foundation, offering scholarships to sexual abuse survivors and military veterans with PTSD symptoms.

“As the owner, I coach and develop each individual on our team and follow up to make sure our environment is warm and professional. I bring to my clients a passion for marriage reconciliation, deep knowledge of trauma recovery, effective clinical tools, and a solid moral compass.”

Education

  • Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling from Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Presentations Available

  • “Prepare & Enrich Building Strong Marriages” Group Program, 8 hour premarital, marital, or mixed options

  • “Premarital Foundations” 8 hour Premarital Investment Class, individual couples or group options

  • “Prepare & Enrich Facilitators Program” Learn and get certified, 8 hour, for pastors & professionals

  • “What Can I do When My Emotions Get Hijacked? Dealing with Intense Emotions” one hour, any audience

  • “What’s Love Got To Do With It?” one hour, any setting, couples

  • “Communication Excellence” one hour, any audience, can be corporate

  • “Communicating Intimacy Marriage Enrichment Workshop” Weekend or formatted to fit

  • “Intimacy and Communication Workshop” 1/2 day premarital, marital enrichment, or combined

  • MACC Summit panel presentation: “Differences Between Bonding, Bondedness, and Bondage”

  • "“Understanding the Legacy of Trauma in the Body” at the Minnesota Chiropractic Association: Pediatric Summit 2020

  • Training For Pastors

Additional Training

  • Comprehensive Integrated Approach to Couples Intimacy & Sexuality: Sex Issues in Couples Counseling

  • Using the DSM 5 for Revolutionizing Diagnosis and Treatment Planning

  • The 10 Core Competencies for Trauma, PTSD, Grief & Loss

  • Evidence-Based Treatments and Interventions

  • Anxiety Treatment that Really Works

  • EFT Learning Group: From Becoming an Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist

  • Collaborative Couples Counseling

  • Building Strong Foundations: Early Childhood Mental Health Training

  • Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy: The Power of Attachment and Affect

  • Minnesota Mental Health and the Law 2012

  • Shifts in Attachment Relationships Between Older Teens & Parents: Guiding the “Child to Adult” Transition

  • Safety Net, Please

  • Beyond the Yellow Ribbon: How Clinicians can Help Combat Veterans and Military Families

  • Play Based Crisis Counseling and Play Therapy with Traumatized Children

  • Using Play Therapy Techniques in Family Therapy

  • ACT Model & Approach: Acceptance and Behavior Training

  • New Trends in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

  • DC 0-3 Diagnosing Infants and Toddlers

  • Applied Neuroscience with Bessel A. van der Kolk M.D.

  • Interpersonal Neurobiology & the Clinical Implications of the Adult Attachment Interview with Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. Mindsight Institute

  • Brainstorm: a Clinician’s Guide to the Changing and Challenging Adolescent Brain with Daniel J Siegel, M.D.

  • Trauma Treatment Certification Workshop with Megan Howard, LCSW, CSUD, EMDR CIT.

  • Counseling Grief Clients Certification Training with Joy R. Samuels, D.MIN., LPC-MHSP, NCC

  • Janina Fisher’s Certified Clinical Trauma Professional Training Level 2 (CCTP-2): Treatment of Complex Trauma and Dissociative Disorders with Janina Fisher, Ph.D.

  • Cognitive Processing Therapy: An Evidence-Based Approach to Treat PTSD and Related Conditions with Kathleen M. Chard, Ph.D.

  • Best Practices in Clinical Supervision: A Blueprint for Providing Effective and Ethical Clinical Supervision with George Haarman, PsyD, LMFT

  • Peter Levine PhD on Trauma: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness with Peter Levine, Ph.D.

  • 2-Day Intensive Course: Clinical Supervision: Confidently Manage Risk, Ethical Dilemmas the Most Difficult Scenarios You’ll Face as a Supervisor with George Haarman, PsyD, LMFT

  • Janina Fisher’s Certified Clinical Trauma Professional Training Level 1 (CCTP): Working with the Neurobiological Legacy of Trauma with Janina Fisher, Ph.D.

  • Dr. Dan Siegel Online Course - Attachment in Couples Therapy - Six Week Online Course with Dr. Dan Siegel, M.D.

  • Mental Health Documentation & Medical Necessity: Simple, Clear Guidelines that Maintain Quality of Care and Protect Your Practice with Beth Rontal, MSW, LICSW

  • 2-Day: Couples Experiential: Live Clinical Demonstrations with Real Couples featuring Terry Real with Terrence Real, LICSW

  • M2_Session 4: Dick Schwartz Answers Therapist Questions about IFS with Richard C. Schwartz, Ph.D., Owner

  • The Challenge of Complex Trauma: Embracing the Disowned Self featuring Richard Schwartz with Richard C. Schwartz, Ph.D., Owner

  • The Myth of Unitary Self: A Dialogue on the Multiplicity of Mind with Daniel Siegel, MD and Richard Schwartz, Ph.D.

  • Internal Family Systems Step By Step with Richard C. Schwartz, Ph.D., Owner

  • The Neurophysiology of Trauma, Attachment, Self-Regulation & Emotions: Clinical Applications of the Polyvagal Theory with Stephen Porges, Ph.D., Professor

  • Internal family Systems Therapy (IFS): A Revolutionary & Transformative Treatment with Frank G. Anderson, MD

  • Shaping secure Connection with EFT: Stage I Live Session - De-escalation Speaker with Susan Johnson, ED.D.

  • Emotionally Focused Therapy (ETF) with Sue Johnson, Ed.D.: On Target Couple Interventions in the Age of Attachment

  • Attachment Theory and Science: A Clear Map for Effective Couple Intervention with Dr. Sue Johnson, ED.D.

  • Changing Attachment Bonds: Necessary and Sufficient Moves and Moments with Dr. Sue Johnson, ED.D.

  • Healing Toxic Injuries in Love Relationships: Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) with Susan Johnson, ED.D.

  • Sex and the Bonds of Love: What We Know - What We Can Do with Susan Johnson, ED.D.

  • Confidently Address Difficult Issues and Build a Foundation for Success with Lois Ehrmann PhD, LPC, NCC/ACS

  • Treating Complex Trauma with Internal Family Systems (IFS) with Frank G. Anderson, MD

  • Intensive 2 Day Course: Clinical Supervision- Confidently Address Difficult Issues and Build a Foundation for Success with Lois Ehrmann, BA, MA, PHD

  • Treating Complex Trauma with Internal Family Systems (IFS): 2-Day Certificate Training with Frank G. Anderson, M.D.

  • Assessment and Treatment Strategies for Some of the Most Misunderstood Disorders in the DSM with Greg Nooney, LISW

  • Borderline, Narcissistic, Antisocial and Historic Personality Disorders: Effective Treatments for Challenging Clients with Jeff Terrell, PH.D., M.S., M.DIV.

  • Attachment-Focused EMDR: (PAR6B) with Laurel Parnell, Ph.D.