Amy Dong

Hi - I'm Amy. I'm a therapist and writer. But mostly, I'm a human learning to slow down and sink into a gentler existence. For as long as I can remember, I've rushed. I've moved through the world at a pace, figuratively and literally, that didn't allow me to be truly present with anything. My mom would, and often still does, remind me, "Slow down, Amy." 

I can now hold this part of myself a little more tenderly; I was outrunning discomfort, anxiety, fear of the unknown, and emotions that I never quite had the words to name. How human of me. One of my favorite artists has a print that says, "We've been having feelings for years - they are perfectly safe." Cultivating safety within ourselves is a practice. And the intention is not to perfect the practice, but simply to exist within it. For me, that looks like slowing down, settling my nervous system, and gently challenging the beliefs and narratives that guide me but don't serve me. 

Walking alongside others is an extension of walking alongside myself. Cultivating safety looks a little different for everyone, but I believe that it starts with slowing down. When we do, there's a richness to our experience - more to see, feel, notice, and be with. And as emotions, memories, sensations, and thoughts arise, we sit with them together. We hold them together. And from there, we get curious about what's next.  

I've only just started calling myself a writer, but I'm embracing the title. Maybe you, too, need a nudge in this direction. Consider this that nudge. Writing is a window into something deeper for me. It's a space where I can unravel the knots of my past and lay everything out on the table. It's where I can soften and release the prescribed narrative for "how to exist" that doesn't quite fit, opting for truths that feel utterly my own.

I'm honored to be a part of Joshua's work. It's important and so needed. Thank you for being here. If you'd like to find me, I'll be over at The Softening. If you live in California and would like to work together, you can reach out here.