Coaching
Life as a queer person can be hard, especially if you're dealing with family rejection, religious trauma, fear of the unknown, or shame about who you are.
But you're not alone.
I've been there. And I want to come alongside you and equip you with the tools to not only survive, but to thrive. You deserve love and belonging.
AND...you deserve to love who you are.
About Me
Hi! I'm Amber Cantorna-Wylde...
I grew up in Colorado Springs - the epicenter of evangelical Christianity - as the daughter of the executive producer of Adventures in Odyssey at Focus on the Family. From the outside, it appeared that my life and family were perfect. But they weren't.
The truth is that the internalized homophobia, toxic theology, and shame being programmed into me from infancy caused a downward spiral of my mental health that led to depression, anxiety, PTSD, self-harm, and suicidal ideations.
Coming out to my family as gay in 2012 came at a very high cost. My parents told me they felt like I had died, compared me to murderers and pedophiles, told me the fact that I was suicidal was my own fault and the consequence of my "sin", and asked for the keys to their house back. Our relationship was never the same and deteriorated over a number of months until it came to a complete end just after I married a woman in 2014. We haven't spoken since.
The trauma, grief, and loss I experienced was, at times, unbearable and ended up resulting in long-term chronic illness which I am still living with today. It's taken me many years to heal from all that I've been through (do we ever fully arrive?). But over time, I've learned some valuable lessons that I now teach to others so that they too can love themselves...perhaps with a little less pain along the way.
In 2016 I began doing advocacy work full-time. I've published three books including the first coming-out guide for people of faith, "Unashamed" (WJK 2019) and most recently, "Out of Focus: My Story of Sexuality, Shame, and Toxic Evangelicalism" (WJK 2023). I also founded the Unashamed Love Collective in 2020 providing a safe online space for LGBTQ+ people and allies to deconstruct, heal, and build community.
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Because of my writing and speaking, I've met thousands of people with similar stories of rejection, ostracization, and family estrangement. The consensus? You are not alone! I've coached people all over the world on how to shed shame, navigate difficult family dynamics, deconstruct toxic theology, and embrace all of who they are meant to be. It would be my great honor to to walk alongside you next! Our need for community, our longing for love, and my desire for you to find freedom and embrace belonging is what has inspired me to launch this program. If you can relate to my story, I'd love to talk about how I can support you in yours.
Is Coaching Right for Me?
Coaching might be for you if:
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You are queer (or think you might be) and come from an evangelical or conservative faith upbringing.
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You deal with shame about how you identify or who you love.
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You need support deconstructing the beliefs you were raised with.
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You were affected by purity culture or conversion therapy.
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Your family doesn't support who you are (or you think they may not once you come out).
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You're in the process of coming out and need tools to help guide you.
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You're processing grief and need a listening ear from someone who has been there.
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Your mental health is being affected.
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Your long-term identity suppression has resulted in chronic illness in your life.
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You lack resources and support to guide you.
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You want to learn how to love yourself, prioritize self-care, and set healthy boundaries.
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You need an empathetic ear and a safe place to process what you're going through.
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You want to dissolve shame and find freedom outside the box of confined living.
If any or all of these statements feel true for you, then I'd love to come alongside you and help you dissolve shame and embrace radical love!
***Disclaimer: I am not a therapist and coaching with me is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as professional medical advice or used as a replacement for therapy.
Coaching Packages
Choose the one that's right for you, or create your own!
Investment
Coaching is an investment in your SELF. It's an investment in your future and the life you want to live. When you make the decision to engage in one-on-one coaching with me, you are saying to yourself that you matter, you are worth fighting for, and you deserve the life of your dreams: a life free from shame, a life abundant in love, a life healed from trauma, and a life that's whole and free.
All sessions are based on an investment range of sliding scale pricing and payment plans are available with the goal of making it affordable to all.
If this range is still out of your reach but you're serious about investing in this journey, message me and let's talk. We'll see if we can come up with a plan that feels workable for both of us.
A 30-minute Exploration Call is Free!
This is where we meet and get to know one another to see if working together would be a good fit. I'll ask you some questions, answer any that you have, and if it feels like a good fit for both of us, we'll pick the package that's right for you!
A One-Time Individual Session ($150-$90)
This one-time session is for you if you're wanting to glean insight and direction on a particular situation or ask a few pointed questions to help you continue on your journey.
6-Week Package ($900-$540)
This 6-week package is for you if you're ready to invest in your well-being and be equipped with tools that will support you on your journey.
12-Week Package ($1800-$1080)
This 12-week package is for you if you are wanting to holistically dive in to creating a new direction for yourself by embracing practices that will empower you to love who you are wholeheartedly so that you can live and thrive without shame.