Spotlight On Dr. Amber Thornton
Dr. Amber Thornton, Licensed Clinical PsychologistLocation: Knoxville, TN What made you want to become a mental health professional? Growing up, I was very aware of how race impacted my life and the lives of others. I was raised to be very proud of being Black, but I still noticed the ways that being Black seemed to make life more difficult. I became really curious about wanting to know why things felt different for Black people and what I could do to help. Once I went to college, I knew that becoming a psychologist would give me the knowledge and tools I needed to enhance my community. In becoming a psychologist, I’ve learned everything I needed to know and more. It has served me well so far, and I’m excited about how I will be able to assist my community even further in the future.What do you wish more people understood about mental health?Mental health is something that everyone has and everyone should prioritize. Our mental health is very much connected to every other aspect of life, so when it's not taken care of, we don’t do well. We should not be ashamed to talk about or address our mental health. It should be treated just as you would treat any physical ailments or conditions. That is exactly how important it is.Do you have a unique approach to treatment or any specializations?I believe that mental health service is beneficial to everyone, however, this is only true when it is tailored to fit your specific needs and unique identity. Because of that, culture and identity are fundamental to my clinical approach. “One size does not fit all,” therefore the understanding of cultural identity (a combination of age, disability status, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, nationality, gender, etc.) and the meaning associated with your identity is where I begin work with any of my clients.
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