Dr. Amandus has over 25 years of experience in pastoral counseling of individuals, couples and families as well as experience in the field of trauma as a police chaplain. Jim believes the central aspect of therapy is the client-therapist connection “to do together” the hard and courageous work involved in hope and healing. Jim draws principles from cognitive-behavioral, object relations, and solution focused therapeutic approaches within a trusting safe environment that engages the body, soul, and spirit to step into personal and relational growth. His multi-cultural position is derived from experiencing and respecting racial, gender, and sexual differences.
Jim is a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT). Jim has served for thirty years as the Senior Pastor of Highlands Community Church, Renton, WA. He has four children, one of whom is adopted from Russia. Jim has taught at the graduate level on the subjects of leadership & conflict resolution and meditations in the Psalms and served as past-president of The Renton Rotary Club. Jim has come to CoHear/BCS from his pastoral counseling and training as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC-A) because of his commitment to the power of community in group to bring hope and healing to marriages and individuals experiencing hurts, habits, and addictive behaviors.
