Counselor Amanda

Hello! My name is Amanda Walker, my pronouns are she/her, and I'm Fairview's new school counselor! I just graduated from Portland State University's School of Education, with a masters in science in counseling, and a focus in school counseling. I have both clinical counseling practice and school counseling practice, and have held various roles in schools prior to receiving my degree.

Philosophy

School counselors bring families, communities, and schools together to best support individual student needs. They are agents for change and strive to create schools that are a safe space for every student. A significant part of this is continually working toward decentralizing societal norms, and working to equalize the systems of power at play in schools and communities.

I believe that if students are given the right environment and tools, they already have everything they need within them to thrive. This is a strengths-based approach based on the core principles of person-centered therapy. Because of this philosophy, I particularly value preventative and early interventions. All students deserve an equal opportunity to do their best in school and in order to do that they need a strong foundation, which is why access to mental health support is vital for young children.

I am passionate about young children having access to self-exploration, diverse role models, and agency in their educational experience. I believe that a fundamental part of independence and agency is knowing what options exist, which can be as simple as knowing that it's okay to forge your own path.

I fervently believe in the importance of teaching children about gender, sexuality/family, and identity from a young age, and I am excited to be instrumental in creating a school culture from the bottom up of students who are both accepting and comfortable with themselves and others.

Social Justice