Amanda Wentz

Hi, my name is Amanda Wentz, and I have been practicing as an LCSW since 2014. I believe that between my expertise as a clinical professional and your expertise on yourself, together we can work as a team to help you be the best version of YOU! My expertise lies mainly in the areas of trauma, anxiety, depression, life stressors, work stressors, relationship turmoil, and parenting skills.

My approach

The main approaches I utilize when providing treatment are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Trauma-focused CBT, Acceptance and commitment therapy, Strengths-based therapy, and motivational interviewing. I am certified in TFCBT and am a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP). When working with clients, I like to focus on increasing the tools that they need to be successful when approaching their biggest concerns, whether that be general anxiety, panic attacks, reliving the trauma, etc. I believe knowledge is power and that learning about what is happening in your body while learning what tools can best address your symptoms is one of the best approaches.

My focus

My expertise lies mainly in the areas of trauma, anxiety, depression, life stressors, work stressors, relationship turmoil, and parenting skills.

My communication style

Building rapport is extremely important to me, and however long that takes - it's worth it to me to make sure that we have a solid foundation to work off of. I will never force anyone to talk about something that they aren't comfortable talking about. I might suggest that it could be helpful, but I do not believe that the point of therapy is for me to tell you what to do. I like for communication to be open and collaborative. As I mentioned above, I am not an expert on you.

My journey to mental healthcare

I knew I wanted to be a counselor since I was ten years old. My cousin and I would write letters to each other in the mail, and her letters would always consist of different issues or problems she was going through at school/home. I would write out a list of each concern and write underneath it what I thought might help her feel better. As I got older, I just naturally became the person that my friends felt comfortable talking to about any and everything. I see it as a privilege to get to hear another person's story. I continue to do this work because I believe that being able to show people kindness and let them know that how they are feeling is not a flaw but rather stems from a biological place and can be life-changing.

My goals for you

Goal setting is most successful when done collaboratively. If I think an important goal might be working on processing past trauma, but you, as the client, are not ready to do that yet, it will benefit neither of us to make that a targeted goal. Giving a gentle push and recommendation while respecting what my client is ready to do is what is most important to me in our goal-setting.

My first session with you

During the first session, I like to introduce myself, discuss HIPPA and privacy, and give the opportunity to have the client ask any questions about myself as a therapist and the therapeutic process as a whole. I also conduct a basic assessment to gather information to help paint a better picture of the client as a whole. I do like to make note that the first session is not therapeutic and more so information gathering.