Amelia Kriss RDT #663 is a Drama Therapist and Certified Coach in private practice (virtually and in-person) in Oakland, CA where she lives with her partner and two powerhouse daughters.

Trained in Perinatal Mental Health, she works primarily with pregnant folks (whoa, this is happening!), freshly postpartum parents (what just happened???), and seasoned caregivers in search of themselves (how did I get here?)

Working one-on-one and with groups, her approach incorporates the biological & social transition into parenthood/motherhood (officially called Matrescence), along with the profound psycho-spiritual aspects of this initiation process.

Amelia is deeply committed to Birth Story Medicine work—helping folks integrate, and move forward from, unresolved parts of their birth experience(s).

She is also a Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator, and works primarily with recovering people-pleasers and "Nice" girls to deconstruct self-shrinking patterns, and find more ease & joy.

She is proud to be listed in the recently-formed Pro Choice Therapists Directory and is dedicated to redefining “Postpartum Support” as a holistic, inclusive, radical practice encompassing vast & various experiences.

Last but not least, Amelia loves supporting brand new parents & babies IRL alongside her incredible colleagues at the Village Postnatal Retreat Center in San Francisco.

about

the nitty gritty

credentials + training:

  • Registered Drama Therapist (RDT #663)

  • ICF Certified Coach (PCC)

  • IFSCA Internal Family Systems Stepping Stones & Stepping Deeper Training Programs

  • PSI Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health Professional Certificate Training

  • Birth Story Medicine Training Levels I, II, III, & Advanced Practitioner Retreat with Pam England

  • Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator

  • Trauma Therapist Inst. EMDR Training (EMDRIA)

Values + Commitments:

I am committed to unlearning biases, perspectives, & ways of being shaped by patriarchy, capitalism, colonization, racism, & white supremacy. I know that I have made (and will make) mistakes along the way, and I will do my best to take ownership & work toward true repair. I promise to make room for feedback around these topics—gender, race, class, sexuality, disability, and any/all other identities—especially from folks with lived experience I do not have.

also: all bodies are good bodies
and: all kinds of truly consensual sex = no shame
and: for survivors of any & all kinds of sexual trauma and violence, I repeat this prayer — no shame

education + experience:

  • Clinical Wellness Team Lead at The Village Postnatal Retreat Center (SF, CA)

  • MA Counseling Psychology & Drama Therapy CIIS

  • Director for Self Revelatory Performance & Therapeutic Theatre

  • Counseling Psychology Practicum Training at the Living Arts Counseling Center in Emeryville, CA under the supervision of Armand Volkas & Gary Raucher

  • Drama Therapist & Facilitator with the Prison Bridges Shakespeare at San Quentin program (supervised by Suraya Keating)

kind words

  • “Amelia has an intrinsic gift to bring out the soul of a person and see the heart of a problem. Her ability to actively listen and to immediately connect with me made me feel comfortable and know that I had her absolute attention. After a short session with Amelia, I felt empowered, not only to handle the current problem, but confident in my own ability to tackle future obstacles, as she helped me realize that the solution lived within me all along."
    JW

  • "As busy moms, we often do not make time to process all that has happened to us. While pregnant we spend months thinking about the birth, and yet the moment a child arrives our attention turns to their thriving. We can skip over what may have been difficult or even traumatic about bringing a child into the world. The ramifications of an unprocessed birth story trauma affected me in a lot of small ways that began adding up...and then in walked Amelia Kriss. She gently yet boldly invited me into a safe space of reflection and exploration about one of the most difficult moments of my life. I hadn't realized the stress and anxiety I was still carrying around it. Amelia helped me put it all down. I am still unpacking what we discussed and am recommending this to every mom I meet. You can trust Amelia to create safety, to ask just the right questions, and to listen intently. I believe every mom should experience Birth Story Medicine with Amelia."
    MHE

  • “[Amelia has] a gift, a BIG GIFT, in talking to people and walking alongside them. [She is] so encouraging, so gentle in [her] approach, and yet so funny and no-nonsense. I have been raving about [her] to the people I’ve let in to this process. THANK YOU, thank you!!!”
    CSR

  • "Amelia is the only person I could imagine working with at the time when I was her client. She always showed up as her genuine self and offered me insights, humor and depth that I wouldn’t have seen otherwise. She has a way of understanding me that I’ve rarely experienced elsewhere, and as a result I felt very seen and validated. I would recommend working with Amelia to anyone hoping to explore both their strengths and their shadow side, as Amelia has the capacity to hold space for what’s painful as well as shed light on power and ability.”
    MGB

  • That birth story medicine you allowed me to access began a slow but steady journey for me… These are very powerful tools you're practicing with, and it was apparent that you use them with skill and care. I'm really grateful… This experience has had profound reverberations.
    MHK

  • “Because my story didn’t end in tragedy, I often have a hard time sharing it–both because of negative feedback (mostly people telling me to shrug it off) and because of my own self-judgment – so your willingness to really see me and hold space for this challenging, nagging event is invaluable.”
    DN

QUESTIONS? LET’S CHAT.

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