I started as a dreamer…
I then became stubbornly determined to reach my dreams…
I learned that I wanted to serve others…and realized I love seeing people learn…
It led me to hold space for healing…and then into spaces to teach others to do the same…
Now, I hope to be an ongoing teacher & learner, therapist & supervisor, and everything in between…
Hi! I’m Josie!
Hi Everyone! My name is Josephine Ampaw(soon to be Josephine Ampaw-Greene) and there are so many hats I wear. I love them all and am excited to connect and work with you! You will find these different roles throughout my website and I am so excited to have you here, to learn more about me.
Most importantly, I am a newlywed wife, sister, daughter, cousin, friend, and aunt. I am a child of a Ghanaian family who instilled the importance of hard work, faith, and finding joy through meaningful connections.
I am a mental health therapist with training in social work, marriage & family therapy, and am currently getting training in addictions counseling. I believe in working through a person-centered lens that humanizes the lived experiences and stories of my clients. I love to work with Trauma and delve deeply into how It impacts their identities and how they view themselves.
I am a supervisor for social workers and counselors and an adjunct professor. I support those who are working to practice independently by teaching them the skills and sharing my experiences. I guide them while allowing them to fully be themselves and shine. It is an honor to be a part of the stories of future therapists.
I am an educator with advanced training in curriculum development and instruction. What does this mean? In other words, I love to learn and I love to teach. It means that I got a master’s degree in education and with this training, like to support traditional educational organizations, with wellness-based curriculum development and teach therapists the ropes of what It means to truly teach and curate curriculum based on their areas of expertise.
My experience is vast, but has shaped who I am today!
Education & Foundational Training
Master of Social Work (MSW), University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work
Master of Arts in Curriculum & Instruction (MA), University of Denver Morgridge College of Education
Post-Master’s Certificate in Marriage & Family Therapy(MFTC)(Equivalent to Masters in Marriage & Family Therapy), Denver Family Institute
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Feminist Studies, Minor in History, University of California, Santa Barbara
Specialized Certificates and Licenses
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy EMDR Level 1, River’s Edge Institute EMDR in Color
Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) Level 1, Level 2 in Progress, AEDP Institute
Post-Master’s Training in Progress in Addictions Counseling, (LAC), The Colorado School for Family Therapy
My Professional Experiences Include Working in Larger Agencies as a Learner and Leader!
My original goal in entering into the field of social work was to gain experience in all areas of the profession before deciding which one I would land in for the long haul. This origin plan led to me getting experiences doing research at the city and state levels, publishing articles on Mental Health Education, and working/consulting in larger educational agencies (nonprofits and school districts). This is work I still love to engage in!
My Work Experiences have always included being an educational leader.
From being a teaching aide in a special education classroom to teaching in an alternative school, to supervising undergrads in providing social justice-based education in special education classrooms, my experiences as an educator greatly inform the way that I work. I believe in the power of equitable teaching and evaluation practices that directly tie into the way I supervise and teach. By leading with teaching-based and curriculum-based pedagogy, those I work with are learning through the best research based and social justice-based strategies teachers & educational leaders use every day!
My Work with Individuals, Intimate Partners, and Families in Therapy is the backbone of what I do.
Micro Work: My work experience includes working in group practices and agencies that focus on serving individuals, intimate partner relationships, and families. My experience also includes building a solo private practice and expanding to include associate pre-licensed and intern therapists. I continue to get continuing education in clinical modalities and in clinical supervision(pursuing ACS) so that I can continue to be informed not only for myself but for those I work with! Along with gaining training from social workers, many of my salient experiences came from working/learning from marriage & family therapists and professional counselors.
I am not actively doing the work. I also teach and lead/supervise a team of therapists doing the work!
As a group practice owner, I engage in leading and teaching my clinical team the backbone of effective mental health care. By leading a team, I continually learn from them as we work together to strengthen their growth as clinicians and grow as a team.
Along with leading a team in my practice, I support students currently working toward their MSW at the University of Denver teaching classes in Foundational Social Work.
My training as a supervisor came primarily through completing(foundational & ongoing) requirements needed by Professional Counselors!
What Creates The Foundation of My Clinical Work?