The mission of Second City Counseling Services (SCCS) is to foster therapeutic connections that cultivate a healthier lifestyle for clients and in turn, strengthen their relationships, families, and communities.
The vision of SCCS is to provide quality counseling services to individuals, couples, and families, including low- or no-income clients who may have difficulty obtaining counseling services.
SCCS is owned and operated by Ms. Amanda Hess, who has over 15 years of experience in the mental health field. Her experience includes working in a psychiatric hospital, a substance abuse treatment facility, the Child Welfare Services system, the military community, and an outpatient grief support program. She currently volunteers with O’ahu Search and Rescue in her free time.
Ms. Hess was part of the inaugural delegation to Rwanda in 2015 for NBCC’s Mental Health Facilitator training and returned to Rwanda in 2016 for Global Engagement Institute’s Multicultural Trauma Treatment training.
Ms. Hess has written for the Hawaiian Islands Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and Context, the magazine for family therapy and systemic practice in the UK. She has also been featured in Wilderness SAR magazine and on Hawai’i’s KUMU 94.7FM. She is a Certified Gottman Therapist and is trained in Culture-Centered Disaster Mental Health Counseling.
Education
High School
San Dimas High School
San Dimas, CA / 1999
College
Chaminade University of Honolulu
Honolulu, HI
AA, Liberal Arts / 2006
BA, Magna Cum Laude, Psychology / 2007
Graduate School
Chaminade University of Honolulu
Honolulu, HI
Master of Science in Counseling Psychology with a concentration in Marriage & Family / 2012
Licenses & Certifications
Licensed Mental Health Counselor / 2014
National Certified Counselor / 2014
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist / 2017
Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy / 2018
Certified Disaster Mental Health Counselor / 2020
Adult & Youth Mental Health First Aid / 2021
Mental Health Wilderness First Aid / 2021
Certified Gottman Therapist / 2022
Professional Affiliations
American Association for Marriage & Family Therapy; (American) National Board for Certified Counselors; British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy; Hawaiian Islands Association for Marriage & Family Therapy; International Association for Counselling
Professional Interests
Attachment-based Therapy; Disaster Mental Health; Gottman Method Couples Therapy; International/Transcultural Counseling; Remote & Rural Mental Health; Schema Therapy; Telehealth/Distance Counseling; Theraplay
SCCS is a counseling service– we are not IT specialists. We encourage clients and potential clients to protect themselves and their computers by having adequate virus/malware software protection, researching any suspicious links or apps, and by using a Virtual Private Network (VPN), to name a few suggestions.
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By downloading any apps or clicking on any of our forms or links, you accept the associated risks, (and benefits!) that come with utilizing online tools and services.