Leading you to hope and healing
Therapy in Delaware, Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Vermont
Hi, I’m Amber
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and therapist. I am passionate about working with individuals and families to make treatment a collaborative process. I have experience in providing treatment for eating disorders, food-related concerns and co-occurring conditions. I am a Health at Every Size Healthcare Provider, trained and experienced across all levels of care (inpatient, residential, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient treatment). I have worked in various capacities (admission, assessment, individual, family, group therapy) that informs my work with clients.
I work together with clients to find the best approach to each case drawing from evidence-based treatments that work. I have great appreciation for the need to understand individual and family psychodynamics and enjoy working with everyone I encounter. I have extensive training in Family Based Treatment for adolescents who struggle with Anorexia Nervosa. I work to empower families to serve as an ally in their loved one’s recovery.
I am flexible in my treatment approach and I utilize empirical evidence for treatment effectiveness. I believe in working from a multidisciplinary approach through working closely with other health care providers and caregivers to achieve best treatment outcomes. In addition to treating eating disorders, I am also passionate about working with mental health concerns related to anxiety, depression and life transitions.
In addition to clinical work, I provide psychoeducation for local schools and universities on prevention and early detection of eating disorders. I am a body project facilitator through NEDA. I am an LCSW and also provide supervision and consultation to clinicians in the field.
I am committed to providing equitable treatment access and am a proud member of Project Heal
How I work
My approach with clients embodies authenticity, empathy, humor and honesty. I like to establish a genuine, deep and unconditional relationship with clients. I believe in the power of deep connection to transform and shape lives. It is my commitment to help people gain insight into emotions and empower them to understand what it is they want and need. I do this by creating space for feelings and experiences and by empowering clients to reclaim authenticity and connection in their lives. I am a mentor and change agent and I bring much of who I am into my work with clients. I am here to help you realize the strengths that exist already in who you are.
Therapeutic Approaches
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Family Based Treatment (FBT) is the leading treatment for child and adolescent eating disorders. Research indicates that parental involvement is more effective than transitional individual based therapy in restoring an adolescent to healthy weight and eating patterns. FBT is structured in three distinct phases: (1) weight restoration; (2) restoring control of eating to young person; and (3) returning to normal adolescent development. This is achieved in three phases ranging between 6 and 12 months.
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Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) approaches healing from the perspective that emotions are linked to identity. EFT focuses on helping clients identify, label, and validate emotions by increasing awareness. It helps people understand, regulate, and accept feelings. A core principle of EFT is the importance of emotion when it comes to healing and learning about ourselves. In EFT, emotions are the primary indicator of what people need and find meaningful and, as such, they are a crucial aspect of how people make decisions and develop their identities.
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most commonly used treatment approaches of mental health diagnoses, while Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT-E) is a highly individualized approach to eating disorder treatments. They are helpful when treating adolescents and adults suffering from Binge Eating, Bulimia Nervosa, Anorexia Nervosa, and other mental health conditions. These treatments are designed for clients to understand the relationship between thoughts and behavioral patterns that impact behaviors and replace them with more effective ones.
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Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) is an integrative psychotherapy approach intended to treat psychological disorders, to alleviate human suffering and to assist individuals to fulfill their potential for development, while minimizing risks of harm in its application. For the client, EMDR treatment aims to achieve comprehensive treatment safely, effectively and efficiently, while maintaining client stability. The client is empowered to find healing within their own brains and bodies.
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Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a therapy that targets the need to control painful emotions, psychological experiences and suppression of feelings that ultimately lead to more distress. ACT aims to help clients create a rich and meaningful life and to develop mindfulness skills alongside the existence of pain and suffering.
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Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) combines the power of CBT tools aimed at changing feelings, thoughts, and behaviors, with mindfulness therapy and skills designed to foster an attitude of acceptance as well as the ability to cope with emotional pain. Its main goals are to teach people how to live in the moment, develop healthy ways to cope with stress, regulate their emotions, and improve their relationships with others.
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Exposure and Response Prevention (EXRP) is the evidence-based treatment for learning to manage obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety disorders. This treatment aims to improve functioning and quality of life by reducing the intensity, frequency, and duration of obsessions and compulsions clients experience in their daily lives. This treatment has also been effective in patients with eating disorders who report high anxiety in irrational food-related fears, avoidance behaviors, eating rituals, and other maladaptive behaviors.
My Training & Education
Education
Masters Degree in Social Work from West Chester University of Pennsylvania
B.A. Psychology from West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Licenses
Delaware
Florida
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Vermont
Advanced Training
EMDR Training via an EMDRIA Approved Institute
Family Based Treatment and Expert Consultation
CBT-E Certificate
Body Project Facilitator
I am here to help you with…
Anxiety
Depression
Eating Disorders
Grief/Loss
Life Transitions
Men’s Issues
Mood Disorders
Parenting
Perfectionism
Pregnancy and Postpartum
Post Traumatic Stress
Relationships
Self-esteem, growth, acceptance
Stress management
Trauma
Women’s Issues
Work and Career Concerns