FOUNDER AND CHIEF HEART HACKER OF RENEW BREAKUP BOOTCAMP
Dubbed the “scientific Carrie Bradshaw” by The Observer, Amy Chan has been a trusted voice in modern relationships for nearly two decades, blending psychology, neuroscience, and real-world insight to help people create healthier love. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of Heart Hackers Club, an online magazine exploring the psychology behind love, lust, and desire.
In 2016, Amy founded Renew Breakup Bootcamp, a science-based heartbreak retreat that integrates psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral re-patterning to support people through the experience of heartbreak. From the outset, her work through Renew combined immersive retreats with one-on-one coaching, allowing her to work closely with individuals as they healed. As her work deepened, she began to notice a consistent pattern: people would do the healing work, feel grounded again, and then ask the same question—“I’m over my ex… now what? How do I date without repeating the same patterns?”
What became clear was that healing alone wasn’t enough, which led to the expansion of her work into Dating Bootcamp, where Amy helps people apply emotional healing to the real-world process of dating and building partnership. Today, her work through Renew spans the full relationship arc—from healing heartbreak to dating with intention and creating secure, healthy relationships. Alongside this, she also teaches as faculty at the Esalen Instituteand the Omega Institute
Her first book, Breakup Bootcamp: The Science of Rewiring Your Heart, became an instant Amazon bestseller, was featured in The New York Times, and was later optioned by a major streaming network. Her second book, UNSINGLE: How to Date Smarter and Create Love That Lasts, is a fun, science-backed dating guide that explores the patterns that keep love just out of reach and offers practical tools for building lasting, healthy connections.
Amy’s writing and work have appeared in a range of media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, Good Morning America, The Today Show, The New Yorker, The Guardian, and USA Today, and she has been interviewed on numerous podcasts, including NPR, The World’s First Podcastw/ Erin and Sara Foster, The Genius Life w/ Max Lugavere and Girls Gotta Eat.
Before founding Renew, Amy was the Chief Marketing Officer of SPiN. She built her career in marketing and public relations, leading brand and communication strategies for private and publicly traded companies. Drawing on that experience, she facilitates leadership and communication workshops for organizations including Google, YouTube, and WordPress, and has guest lectured at Columbia University.
IT STARTED FROM ROCK BOTTOM – A PIVOTAL HEARTBREAK
Ten years ago, I was in a relationship with a man whom I thought I’d be spending the rest of my life with. He was my first love, and without realizing it, I had put much of my sense of identity into that relationship. When everything suddenly fell apart, I broke into pieces. Not only did I lose my partner and best friend, but I lost my identity. I spiraled into depression, experienced panic attacks, and had thoughts of suicide.
During that time, I searched everywhere for a retreat or safe space where I could get the healing I needed. There was nothing specifically designed for the kind of excruciating pain that comes with separation. It took me nearly two years to recover from that breakup, during which I learned critical tools for self-soothing, emotional regulation, and rebuilding a sense of self.
The idea for Renew Breakup Bootcamp came a few years later. I realized that most of the emails I received from readers were from people going through breakups and feeling completely overwhelmed by the pain. It was an AHA moment—I knew I had to create a safe, structured space for people to heal heartbreak in a healthy, science-based way.
As Renew grew, something unexpected began to happen. People would come to me after doing the healing work and say, “Okay, I’m over my ex… now what? How do I actually date?” I saw people who were healed but still stuck—perpetually single, caught in situationships, repeating the same dynamics, or swearing off love altogether out of fear of getting hurt again.
It became clear that healing heartbreak was only part of the journey. To truly change relationship outcomes, people also needed tools for dating—how to choose partners differently, communicate needs, regulate emotions in real time, and build secure, healthy partnerships. That realization led to the expansion of my work into Dating Bootcamp, where I help people apply everything they’ve learned through healing to the actual process of dating and partnership.
If you are going through heartbreak, I promise you there is light at the end of the tunnel. The breakup may feel like the worst thing that’s ever happened to you, but it’s often a bridge—an opportunity to learn about yourself, heal old patterns, and ultimately change the direction of your love life. When emotions take over and you feel like you’re going crazy, know that the feeling is temporary. You’re not alone, and with the right tools, it’s possible to move forward stronger, clearer, and more empowered than ever before.
