Get to Know Amanda

Professional and Educational Background

Amanda Ferrat has a Bachelor's Degree from Montana State University in Health and Human Development-Family Science, with a focus on psychology and early education. Amanda also partially completed the Master of Social Work program at Portland State University with a focus on school social work. Unfortunately, life had other plans and Amanda chose not to finish the program and instead pursued her entrepreneurial path after facing numerous losses herself and enduring her own healing from grief and trauma. 

Amanda is the owner and founder of Value Yourself Counseling LLC. She is a certified Advanced EFT Practitioner (Emotional Freedom Techniques) and Wellness Counselor that helps women and youth learn to heal their grief, trauma, depression, anxiety, shame, limiting beliefs, and more. She also supports suicide loss survivors. Amanda is also a Constant Observer with Adventist Health Tillamook's Emergency Department. In this role she supports some of our most at risk residents in staying safe.

Amanda has an extensive professional background in mental health and social services, mostly working with youth and families. Her favorite job was as a Mental Health Associate with a school based program at Chief Joseph Middle School in Bozeman, MT. She worked in that role for four years and integrated herself into the school through building relationships with administration, teachers, staff, students, and community partners. She wanted to ensure that the students enrolled in her program felt comfortable coming to groups, that teachers understood the importance of the program, and that she was known as a safe adult for all students in the building. She further solidified this by acting as the LEO Club advisor for the new chapter at CJMS for three years. She lead students through three separate year long service learning projects working with a community partner or partners.  Amanda also got to know as much about public education as a system from the inside as she could while at CJMS. She attended IEP, staff, and team meetings, assemblies, events, PBIS planning, and more. She also helped secure student athlete volunteers from Montana State University to help with various school events. Ms. Amanda, as she was called by the students, was a loved and respected member of the CJMS family and continued to support students as a mentor for years to come. 

Community Involvement 

Amanda moved to Tillamook in July of 2021 and quickly integrated herself into the community. Amanda actively works to create safer, braver spaces in her community for others to show up as their authentic selves and to be seen, heard, and valued without fear. She is an advocate for her fellow LGBTQIA2S+ community, mental health and suicide prevention, and our youth. Amanda was nominated for Citizen of the Year in 2025 for the Tillamook Area Chamber of Commerce Awards. She volunteers her time and talent as the lead of the Tillamook County Suicide Prevention Coalition and co-founder of EDJI Collaborative. Amanda has also supported Neah-Kah-Nie School District by serving on their Inclusion Alliance for the past 2 years. Amanda was the lead for the Queer Prom held in Tillamook in May of 2023 as well as the lead for the HOPE Fests held throughout the county in May of 2024. 

Amanda was previously a volunteer with Tillamook County Wellness where she wrote and published multiple articles, the Big Sky Chapter of Alpha Gamma Delta where she planned the Centennial Celebration, and the Columbia River Chapter of Montana State University Alumni Foundation where she was awarded Chapter Volunteer of the Year in 2023. She has been a volunteer in some capacity since the age of 15 and has always been dedicated to living a life of service and advocacy for others, the planet, and social justice. 

The Personal Side of Amanda

Amanda grew up in a small town in Montana, born into a family of farmers, ranchers, and entrepreneurs. She was the first in her family to graduate high school, with high honors, then move on to graduate college immediately afterwards. Amanda knows that educational path is not for everyone. Amanda's younger brother was able to successfully graduate high school with the support of the Career and Technology Education program at their high school yet struggled with traditional classes and coursework. Her mom went back to college and got her nursing degree as an adult, while Amanda was in middle school and high school.  Amanda, her mom, and her nephew are all proud Bobcats (Montana State University alumni). Her nephew is an Ag Ed teacher and FFA Advisor in Montana, spent years in 4-H and FFA, and was the State Parliamentarian for FFA from 2019-2020.

Amanda's Saturdays in the fall are dedicated to Bobcat football and she was sad to watch them lose in Frisco this year at the National Championships. She is a cat and dog mom that loves to take her Akita Ludo on adventures or snuggle with her cats Esme and Walter. Amanda also enjoys quality time with friends and family; her mom moved in with her in October of 2024. She collects crystals and craft supplies (that she hopes to use someday) and loves that Tillamook allows her to live close to both the ocean and the forest. 

Most of all, Amanda looks forward to continuing to support her Tillamook County community at large as a Board Director, Position 1, for Tillamook School District No. 9 from 2025-2027. Please make sure to vote in this May's special election! Ballots are due May 20, 2025.  Thanks for reading all this!