Meet the Heart Behind Root Awakenings
Amanda Manzer
Root Awakenings began with a longing to build a place where healing could unfold slowly, gently, and in its own time, a place for truth-telling, connection, and becoming whole again.
I’m Amanda, a Licensed Professional Counselor, Clinical Supervisor, KAP (Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy) provider, and Reiki Practitioner. My work bridges science and spirit, blending evidence-based therapy with integrative practices that honor the sacred, nonlinear nature of healing.
What I know is this: healing is sacred. It’s nonlinear and asks us to be brave in quiet, tender ways. And it cannot be done alone.
Root Awakenings was created from the belief that we heal in relationship and in spaces where we can tell the truth, soften what’s been guarded, and be met with steadiness. Whether we’re engaging in talk therapy, working with expanded states, or tending to energy and the nervous system through Reiki, I show up with presence, attunement, and curiosity.
My work is trauma-informed, system-aware, and shaped by attachment. I listen for who you are beneath survival strategies. I trust your pace, and I follow what unfolds.
Alongside my clinical work, I supervise interns and pre-licensed professionals, honoring the parallel process between therapist and client: learning, growing, reflecting, unraveling, and rebuilding. My supervision is collaborative, grounded, and human. We move together.
Wherever you are in your process —whether the beginning, the returning, the pausing, or the unsure —you are welcome here.
We’ll take it slow.
We’ll stay with what matters.
We’ll root.
And we’ll awaken.
Jillian Gubler
Hi, my name is Jillian Gubler, an Associate Professional Counselor under the supervision of Amanda Manzer at Root Awakenings. My counseling ideology is rooted in the belief that healing is not something we do alone—it’s something we discover in connection, in presence, and in shared journeying.
I feel called to walk beside individuals who are seeking not only relief from pain, but also a deeper connection to themselves and their spirituality. To me, healing is both sacred and spiritual, interconnected with mind, body, and soul. In our work together, I honor the wholeness of who you are while holding space for the parts of you still tender, uncertain, or searching.
My approach is collaborative and holistic, integrating core client values from their personal spirituality, culture, and experiences with principles from counseling modalities such as CBT, SFT, and DBT. I lean into the power of relationship, spiritual exploration, and compassionate curiosity as we move together toward greater clarity, balance, and peace. Whether you’re navigating grief, transitions, or a longing to reconnect with your spirit, I will meet you where you are—with openness, gentleness, and respect for your unique path.
Counseling is a shared journey, and I would be honored to walk beside you as you remember your own strength, wisdom, and light.
Lori Maestas
Hi, I’m Lori. I’m so glad you’re here!
I know reaching out for help can feel overwhelming. You may be carrying more than you can manage alone, and that’s okay. Therapy is a place where you can feel heard, understood, and supported as you take the first step toward healing and connection.
My ideal client is someone feeling overwhelmed by past trauma, anxiety, or significant life transitions. You may feel stuck in unhealthy patterns, struggle with identity, or face relationship and family challenges. Many of the clients I work with want to gain a deeper understanding of themselves, establish healthier boundaries, and achieve emotional balance.
I work with children, teens, adults, and couples with compassion and a sense of curiosity. Whether you’re navigating grief, parenting stress, or personal growth, I offer a safe space to heal, explore, and reconnect with yourself and others. I specialize in trauma-informed therapy, including family, religious, and childhood trauma, and use CBT, DBT, person-centered therapy, art/play therapy, and visual desensitization techniques to build coping skills, support emotional regulation, and create lasting change.
Brittney Helton
Welcome! I’m Brittney Helton, a Licensed Master Social Worker at Root Awakenings in the magical healing vortex that is Tucson, Arizona. As a wounded healer who has sat exactly where you are, I see you. You’re doing all of the “right” things, but there’s a heaviness you just can’t shake. Maybe it’s the trappings of loneliness, grief, worry, or shame. You can’t remember the last time you felt like yourself, and it feels like it might be this way forever.
The wisdom of Ram Dass, who wrote, “We are all just walking each other home,” is central to my approach to your healing. Compassionate witnessing in a safe container is oftentimes all that’s needed to move the needle towards the wholeness that’s already within. Through relation-based rapport that draws on the tenants of attachment science, mindfulness, nervous system literacy, and psychodynamic theory, we will collaborate to make space for all the stories aching to be told and the parts wanting to be seen. I believe in a validation-centric approach that focuses on modalities such as Motivational Interviewing, EFT, IFS, and ACT. The great paradox (and fun!) of this work is that there are many roads to get to a place that already exists.
Your inner knowing is already holding more space for you than you realize, simply waiting for the gentle nudge of co-regulation to take the reins. If you value authenticity, depth, and radical acceptance, I’d love to connect and help you begin the journey back to you.
Join the team!
While Root Awakenings is currently a solo practice, we are thoughtfully growing. I provide clinical supervision to interns and pre-licensed professionals who are passionate about trauma-informed, integrative healing.
Supervision here is relational, collaborative, and rooted in the same values I bring to therapy: authenticity, clarity, and care. We explore parallel process, build clinical skill, and hold space for the growth that happens behind the scenes.
If you’re an intern or associate therapist looking for supervision in a space that honors both the art and science of healing, I’d love to connect.