Hi there, my name is Amy Hyun Swart and I am glad you found my page in the vast expanse of the internet. I’m a grief and trauma therapist, writer, art maker, and group facilitator, and center my work around supporting those in the throes of grief. Alongside working as a grief therapist for over a decade, I’ve personally been in apprenticeship with grief since early childhood when my dad died unexpectedly. It has been a passion for me to help others feel supported in their losses as this was not my experience due to our societal and cultural views towards grief. It was not until my mid-twenties that I finally began to turn towards my own loss — something I was so terrified of — and began to feel more fully alive, connected to myself and others, and less exhausted and dissociated from running from the past.

Being multiracial second-generation Korean American and white (Western European and Jewish) from a blended family, my loved ones represent a handful of races, native tongues, cultures, sexual orientations, socioeconomic and educational statuses, political views, and spiritual beliefs. I honor the unique impact that these identities have upon one’s life story. It is my intention to provide a safe space for those of all intersectionality of identities to feel seen, welcomed, and accepted.

I bring in my lived experience as somatic-based grief and trauma therapist, expressive arts therapist, yoga and meditation teacher, artist and writer, to welcome your whole self to feel seen, heard, and understood on your journey through grief.

I have faith in the healing power of connection and collective liberation through group work, and feel honored and grateful to my teachers who have informed my work: Francis Weller, Aki Hirota Baker, Manuela Mischke-Reeds, Ken Hardy, Sarah Lotus Garrett, Karen Rachels, and the work of Shawna Murray-Browne.

Working Together.

I offer semi-annual group grief courses along with my personalized grief support offerings. See below for details about our next 8-week Grief Course as well as the support I offer through Grief Rituals, Personalized Rituals, Crisis Response, Consultations, and Grief Medicine Untrainings.

Trainings.

Compassionate Bereavement Care with the Miss Foundation, Spring 2024

Right Use of Power Basics with Cedar Barstow, Winter 2024

Uncovering Racial Trauma with Ken Hardy, Fall 2022

Natural Processing Somatic-Based Process-Oriented Therapy for EMDR with Craig Penner, Spring 2022

Decolonizing Therapy for Black Folk with Shawna Murray-Browne, Fall 2021

Exploring Our Inner Communities with Bonnie Badenoch, Winter 2019

EMDR Levels 1, 2, and 3, San Francisco, CA, 2018

Somatic Attachment Training with Karen Rachels, Oakland, CA, 2018

Hakomi Professional Skills, Berkeley, CA, 2017

From Trauma to Dharma: A Hakomi Mindfulness-Based Trauma Therapy Training with Manuela Mischke-Reeds, Berkeley, CA, 2016

The Couple’s Institute Training: Level One, The Developmental Model with Ellyn Bader, Palo Alto, CA, 2015

Cross-Cultural Facilitation Skills for Diversity Trainers with Lee Mun Wah, Berkeley, CA, 2014

Past Education and Work Experience.

Moderator, Advisory Board Member and Group Facilitator for Soulful Life with Francis Weller

Grief Processing Facilitator & Workshop Leader for Conard House Nonprofit, San Francisco, CA

Grief Ritual Leader for Lava Mae Nonprofit, San Francisco, CA

Grief Workshop Facilitator for Reimagine End of Life Week, San Francisco, CA

Workshop Presenter at International Expressive Arts Therapy Association, Berkeley, CA

Process Group Leader at Outpatient Eating Disorder Center, San Francisco, CA

Workshop Co-Leader for Embodying Tools for Stress Reduction at Yoga Tree, San Francisco, CA

Head Start Bilingual Clinician for Preschool Children, Richmond, CA

Contributing Writer for the International Journal of Yoga Therapy

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program with Bob Stahl, Palo Alto, CA

Registered Yoga Instructor, Yoga Alliance, School of Santhi, Kerala, India

Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology,  Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, Certificate in Creative Expression, Palo Alto, CA

Bachelor of Arts, Boston University, Boston, MA