Welcome! My name is Amity Olmstead, and I have been licensed as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in the state of Maine since graduating from the University of Maine in 2007. In that time I have worked in a number of different settings, including inpatient hospitals, schools, outpatient clinics, jails, and home based services. Wherever I see someone, my goal is the same: to develop a therapeutic relationship in which you can explore and meet your goals. Therapy is a partnership: I have the knowledge and experience to navigate, but only you can determine the destination.
No one comes to therapy because everything is going great. People come in pain, and often carrying a lot of shame about what isn’t going well. I’ve never yet judged anyone for what they bring to me, and I admire the courage it takes to face those issues.
My style tends to be pretty straightforward. I have a great deal of compassion for everyone’s struggles, and I will make space for those, while also being honest about things that can sometimes only be seen from the outside. I used to work with teenagers, and the way I phrased it to them was, “you won’t always like what I have to say, but you won’t have to wonder what I’m thinking.”
I have specialized training in several evidence-based approaches to treatment, including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for trauma, Exposure Response Prevention for OCD, and Systematic Desensitization for phobias. When starting to work with any client, I aim to understand their needs and personalities in order to identify what will be most helpful as a treatment approach.
If it seems like I might be a good match for you, please feel free to reach out with any questions. I look forward to talking with you more!
Additional areas of focus: Addictions, Family conflicts, Grief, Intimacy-related issues, Parenting issues, Anger management, Career difficulties, Depression, Coaching, Compassion fatigue, ADHD, Abandonment, Adoption and foster care, Aging and geriatric issues, BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture, Blended family issues, Body image, Cancer, Caregiver issues and stress, Chronic pain, illness, and disability, Commitment issues, Communication problems, Control issues, Coping with natural or human-caused disaster, Dissociation, Divorce and separation, Domestic violence, Emptiness, Family of origin issues, Family problems, Fatherhood issues, Fertility issues, First responder issues, Gender dysphoria, Guilt and shame, HIV / AIDS, Hospice and end-of-life counseling, Immigration issues, Impulsivity, Infidelity, Isolation / loneliness, Jealousy, Life purpose, Midlife crisis, Mood disorders, Multicultural concerns, Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD, Panic disorder and panic attacks, Phobias, Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships, Postpartum depression, Post-traumatic stress, Pregnancy and childbirth, Prejudice and discrimination, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Sexual assault and abuse, Sexuality, Social anxiety and phobia, Visually impaired, Women's issues, Workplace issues, Young adult issues
Clinical approaches: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Mindfulness Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Trauma-Focused Therapy, Systemic Therapy
ME LCPC CC3573
These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Amity Olmstead. We don't pay anyone to provide their review and they are all made voluntarily. Some people's experience receiving therapy with BetterHelp might be different.
Amity is a great listener and gives advice that makes me feel heard and understood while also taking into consideration things that I wouldn't have thought of myself.
Written on Dec 29, 2020 after therapy with Amity for 5 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, self esteem, career difficulties, and coping with life changes
Amity has been wonderful since our first session. She’s attentive and kind, funny and easy to talk to, as well as being great at getting back to the point when needed and following the narrative of my often meandering stories. She’s awesome ☺️
Written on Nov 04, 2020 after therapy with Amity for 4 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related issues, coaching, and compassion fatigue
Amity has been so helpful!! She has listened to all my anxious ramblings about my family, life, and the pandemic and encouraged me to identify what I can and cannot control. All of her advice has helped me to manage my own anxiety and keep myself (somewhat) sane when everything around me feels absolutely insane.
Written on Sep 15, 2020 after therapy with Amity for 2 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, family conflicts, self esteem, and coping with life changes
I didn't know what to expect when being paired with a therapist without getting a recommendation from someone I know, but it's been really wonderful. Amity is smart, empathetic, insightful, and kind. Highly recommend!
Written on Sep 07, 2020 after therapy with Amity for 4 weeks on issues concerning family conflicts, and parenting issues
It's going great so far, I'm in a place where things are all tangled and messy and really needed some help with clarity, I really appreciate the help.
Written on Aug 26, 2020 after therapy with Amity for 2 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety
Amity is the best!! I feel so comfortable talking to her and respect her advice.
Written on Jul 23, 2020 after therapy with Amity for 2 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, career difficulties, and adhd