Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Anderson.
Hi Amy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Well, Hello – I’m Amy Anderson and I’m a licensed clinical social worker in San Diego California specialized in working with highly ambitious professionals, families, couples, and corporations to help promote optimal mental health.
I started my career in the mental health field in 2004, working at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic at the University of Pittsburgh with children, adolescents, and adults. I fell in love working with people impacted by mental health, social systems, trauma, and substance misuse and passionately obtained professional opportunities to engage clinically ever since.
Upon completion of my bachelor’s of science in Psychology, I moved to San Diego to work with individuals impacted by opiate addiction and polysubstance abuse at an opiate treatment outpatient center from 2007-2009, where I was a clinical case manager providing weekly therapy for those working within the medical harm reduction model. I also attended William R. Meade Training Academy for Alcohol and Drug Counseling credits to pursue my CAADAC. Concurrently, I worked at residential mental health facility (Level 14) as a Mental Health Counselor with SED/DD adolescents in the day program and residential program between 2007-2011.
At that time, I decided to pursue my Masters in Social Work and moved to Riverside, CA to work at Behavioral Health Treatment Center as a clinical case manager for the ACT program. I counseled and case managed individuals with moderate to severe mental health functioning and involved with the criminal justice, drug court, and/or conservator program.
While in my MSW program, I worked as a Therapeutic Behavioral Specialist Coach with adolescents in Level 12-14 residential programs working on stepping down to return to a home environment. I also had the opportunity to intern at Kinship Center as an adoption social worker, helping families and foster children develop permanent plans that would permit the children to safely exit the foster system.
From 2011-2015, I was at the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency as a Protective Service Worker, assisting children and families who were impacted by the child welfare system (i.e., CARE-investigations, adoptions, and extended foster care). During my time in CWS I obtained my clinical supervision hours and successfully passed my clinical exams to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I have been trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy- Trauma Informed, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance Commitment Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization, & Reprocessing, and Internal Family Systems. Additionally, I’m pursuing certification in Gottman Method with working with couples.
In 2015, I started as a medical social worker within Sharp Mesa Vista & Sharp Mary Birch hospitals while I continued to work with a treatment level foster care program at Casey Family Program as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. It was meaningful work helping all the patients and families impacted by NICU, WACU, and psychiatric inpatient hospitalizations between 2015- 2018.
Additionally, in 2016, I decided to work with inmate patients at California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation as a clinician. In 2017 I started clinical supervision for MSW and ASW candidates who required further support and mentorship to become licensed clinical social workers. Also in 2017, I began working as a Pre-Release Coordinator for the Mental Health System at CDCR and the program for inmate patients releasing back to the community through probation and parole.
At that point, I decided it was time to branch out to help individuals, couples, and families in the San Diego community with my private practice. I was fortunate to grow my private practice in Mission Valley and expanded in 2021 to full time in-person and telehealth, which has been tremendously rewarding. I specialize in working with ambitious professionals who struggle with anxiety, perfectionism, and relationship instability secondary to trauma, burnout, and substance use. I have specific experience working with adult children of abuse & neglect: parents, bicultural, LGBTQI, and non-traditional relationships & lifestyles learn how to cope and then thrive.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
This is cheesy, but true. I honestly feel I was called to the social work profession as I embody the values of service, social justice, competence, human dignity, respecting the inherent worth of a person, importance of human relationships, and integrity. As many people can tell you – I am genuine, honest, and a real human with real obstacles that have helped shape the person I am today. I relate to my clients, value their personal growth and genuinely want to help them through their journey of self-exploration and amplification.
A lot of people wonder how I have worked in the environments I have worked and maintained my professionalism and positive nature. With the spectrum of individuals I have had the opportunity of assisting, I truly know human behavior and family systems that impact someone’s individual mental health. I truly see people as individuals who have a plethora of facets of resilience and strengths, no matter where they come from or where they are going. I think getting to this mindset is a struggle for a lot of people and even sometimes for myself – therefore I seek out my own consultation, supervision,and therapy to keep me the most present therapist. My ability to maintain balance and seek out self-care helps my professional career & personal life immensely. My clients know I’m invested in supporting them through their personal journey, which means I need to be on my A game and show up fully, which I strive to do.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I opened up my private practice in 2017 and have loved every moment of being able to help members of my community with their mental health. I specialize in helping ambitious professionals who struggle with anxiety, perfectionism, and relationship instability secondary to trauma, substance use, and burnout. I absolutely love what I do and keep up with continuing education opportunities to hone in on my specific trade of serving individuals, couples, and families accomplish improvement in mental health and relationships.
I’m known for being a direct, no-nonsense type of therapist that can keep hone in on issues and help accomplish personal and professional goals utilizing evidence based interventions . I have helped individuals and couples reach goals that they thought were unobtainable less than a year prior, which has been extremely rewarding and amplifying for me professionally.
If you were to ask me what I am most proud of as a therapist, hands down would say my client’s health & lifestyle improvements during the therapeutic journey. I’ve seen individuals reconnect with family of origin, develop rich and emotionally strong relationships, seek out promotions and job opportunities outside of their comfort zone successfully. I provide a safe, supportive space to explore curiosity and compassionately and my clients bring the magic of vulnerability & willingness to look inwards. We tackle them together, step by step.
What matters most to you?
Compassion and curiosity. I provide compassionate focused therapeutic services to help others develop their true inner wealth of potential whether it be with their relationship to self, others, organizations, or community. I value the opportunity to help others throughout their journey of self-reflection and believe it is a privilege.
Social justice and equality means a lot to me, especially as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I value every life and ensuring human rights are honored is vital for my work with children, people of different genders, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, in addition to sexual orientations or relationship preferences.
Pricing:
- $250/60 intake session
- $200/50 minute session
- $360/90 minute session
Contact Info:
- Email: amy@amyandersontherapy.com
- Website: www.amyandersontherapy.com
- Instagram: amyandersontherapy
- Facebook: Amy Anderson LCSW
Image Credits:
Morgan Miles, Photography
