Amanda Buchanan, LCSW

Amanda Buchanan is a licensed clinical social worker with 15 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, trauma, and LGBTQ+ related concerns. She offers straightforward support and practical tools for everyday struggles. Parents reading on a phone will find short explanations and clear next steps in sessions. She favors an approach that blends cognitive behavioral techniques with skills training and motivational interviewing. That means tracking thoughts and behaviors, practicing coping skills, and building motivation for change. Sessions focus on concrete steps people can try between meetings. Amanda pays attention to how trauma and past relationships affect current life. She helps people untangle family of origin issues, caregiver strain, and the effects of post-traumatic stress. Conversations move at a pace chosen by the person in therapy. She also works with concerns around sexuality, gender questions, kink and alternative sex culture, and non-monogamous relationships. Amanda supports people dealing with addiction, codependency, and first responder stress with practical strategies and real-world planning. People can expect a respectful, nonjudgmental tone and clear homework when that helps. Amanda explains techniques simply and checks in about what is and isn’t working. The goal is steady progress and better tools for coping with life’s demands.

Using CBT, DBT, and Motivational Interviewing online

Amanda often uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people spot unhelpful thought patterns and test new behaviors. CBT focuses on small, practical changes that reduce anxiety and improve mood.

She also draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills to teach emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. DBT skills can help when strong emotions or relationship stress make day-to-day life harder.

Motivational Interviewing is used to strengthen a person’s own reasons for change and to set realistic steps forward. It’s helpful when someone feels unsure or stuck about making a change.

Finding the right blend of approaches is a team effort. The therapist will discuss goals and preferences, try techniques in sessions, and adjust the plan based on what helps. Clients are invited to give feedback so the work remains practical and relevant.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to meet. Video calls allow face-to-face work and skill demonstrations. Phone sessions can fit a short break or use less bandwidth. Live chat and text-based messaging suit quick check-ins, homework support, or times when writing feels easier than talking. These options make it simpler to keep momentum and use skills between sessions.