Virtual Therapy In Ontario, In Person Therapy in Hamilton, Oakville & London
As the Director of Clinical Training & Supervision, Dr. Amanda Spallacci leads the clinic’s clinical training and professional development initiatives, overseeing the supervision, mentorship, and ongoing development of practicum students and clinicians at Vital Minds Psychotherapy. She is passionate about cultivating competent, ethical, and confident psychotherapists by creating a supportive learning environment that encourages curiosity, critical thinking, clinical reflection, and lifelong professional growth.
Drawing on her extensive background in higher education, curriculum development, and psychotherapy, Amanda has designed and implemented comprehensive, evidence-based training programs tailored specifically to the needs of clinicians at Vital Minds. She has developed customized clinical training modules that integrate current psychological research, best practice guidelines, and practical therapeutic skills to help bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world clinical practice. These structured learning programs provide clinicians with a strong foundation in assessment, case conceptualization, treatment planning, ethical decision-making, trauma-informed care, documentation, therapeutic communication, and the effective implementation of evidence-based interventions.
Amanda’s philosophy is that exceptional psychotherapy begins with exceptional training. She believes that developing strong clinicians requires more than simply teaching therapeutic techniques; it involves fostering clinical reasoning, professional confidence, self-awareness, cultural humility, and the ability to thoughtfully adapt evidence-based approaches to each client’s unique needs. Through reflective supervision, collaborative case consultation, experiential learning, and constructive feedback, Amanda helps clinicians deepen their understanding of complex clinical presentations while strengthening their therapeutic skills and professional identity.
With specialized training in Counselling Psychology, extensive university teaching experience, and expertise in trauma-informed care, Amanda integrates theory and clinical psychotherapy experience to create engaging, practical, and clinically relevant education for aspiring clinicians. Her teaching emphasizes safe, compassionate, client-centred, and evidence-based practice while encouraging clinicians to critically evaluate emerging research and translate it into ethical, effective clinical care.
Amanda is particularly passionate about trauma-informed practice and has developed training that helps clinicians understand the profound impact of trauma, attachment, emotional regulation, and systemic influences on mental health. She teaches therapists to recognize the complexity of trauma presentations while integrating evidence-based modalities, ethical practice standards, and culturally responsive care into every stage of treatment. Her educational approach combines scientific evidence with practical application, ensuring clinicians feel equipped to provide high-quality, individualized care across a broad range of client presentations.
Through her leadership, Amanda is committed to fostering a culture of clinical excellence, collaboration, and continuous learning. Her goal is to ensure every clinician at Vital Minds is supported in developing the knowledge, skills, confidence, and professional judgment necessary to provide ethical, compassionate, and effective psychotherapy that reflects the highest standards of clinical care.
Books
Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications
“Our past experiences may have instructed us how to live, but therapy can help us become our genuine selves.”
“Not every thought is the truth. You get to be the judge who decides what’s true for you.”