Hi, I'm Dr. Amy Gunter, Ed.D., MSW.

I developed the Beyond Survival Digital Toolkit because I saw a massive gap between complex therapeutic frameworks and what people actually need when they're in a state of high overwhelm. Most coping tools sound good in a therapy session and fall apart the moment you actually need them.

These 20 cards blend research-backed tools from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and mindfulness into actionable self-talk steps, the same frameworks I've used both in my own life and with clients for years.

But the truth is, my understanding of survival didn't start in a classroom. I survived a lot before I had any letters after my name. Everything I've built since, the degrees, the clinical training, the years working inside systems meant to help people, has been in service of understanding what actually gets someone through the hardest moments, not just what the research says should.

I bring both to this work: the lived experience and the clinical training. Most people only get one side.