Angela Amias, LCSW, is a relationship therapist whose work focuses on how early relational experiences shape the way people connect in adulthood. She is the founder of the Institute for Trauma-Informed Relationships and cofounder of Alchemy of Love, where she develops programs and resources focused on relationships after trauma.

Angela began her clinical work at a specialized attachment clinic serving adopted children with significant trauma histories. There, she worked with both children and their adoptive parents, helping families understand the inner world of the child while supporting the development of trust and connection.

When she left this role to become a therapist at a holistic healing center, working with women and men with depression, anxiety, and everyday relationship concerns, she imagined that her specialized skill set for treating attachment trauma would no longer be needed.

What she actually discovered was quite different.

The struggles her clients described in their romantic relationships often echoed the same dynamics she had seen earlier—though in less overt forms. Experiences such as emotional distance, inconsistency, or a lack of attunement had shaped how they related to themselves and others, often without being recognized as trauma.

Over time, this observation became central to her work. Many of the difficulties people encounter in relationships — cycles of conflict, challenges with intimacy, or a persistent sense of disconnection — can be understood in the context of earlier relational experiences.

This perspective informed the development of Trauma Informed Relationship Counseling for Individuals and Couples, a clinical framework that brings a trauma-informed lens to relationship work. The model focuses on helping clients understand how past experiences have shaped their relational patterns, and how those patterns continue to influence their current relationships.

Angela’s work also contributed to the development of the Five Relationship Archetypes, created with Daniel Boscaljon, which describes common relational patterns that emerge from early experiences and the meanings people make about themselves in relationship.

In addition to her clinical work, Angela has experience as a discernment counselor and divorce mediator, supporting individuals and couples navigating significant relationship decisions and transitions.

Her approach integrates psychodynamic and attachment-based perspectives with the use of therapeutic writing and reflective practices, supporting clients in making sense of their experiences and engaging more intentionally in their relationships.

Angela holds a Master’s in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute and a Master of Social Work from the University of Iowa. She’s currently a doctoral student studying analytical psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute.

Her work has been featured in publications including Today, Oprah, Cosmopolitan, Well + Good, and Forbes. On the topic of relationships, she’s been a contributing writer for Inc. and Fatherly. As a trauma-focused practitioner, she’s a contributing author of the Clinical EFT Handbook. 

Angela is also a mixed media artist. Her artwork has been exhibited in galleries across the United States and published in journals and magazines. She is also the co-creator of the Faces of the Divine Feminine Oracle.

Born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, Angela now lives in Cheyenne, Wyoming. On sunny days, you can find her cozied up with a book or hiking in the mountains with Daniel.

Her artwork can be found here.