Amanda White
LCSW, 4 years of experience
New to Grow
About me
Hello! My name is Amanda White. I am a LCSW with a specialization in drug and alcohol counseling in Kentucky. I have been providing inpatient therapy within a residential program that serves clients with substance use and a broad range of mental health concerns for the last four years, and my role as your therapist is to help you feel seen, heard, and supported as we navigate difficult stages of life. I believe that everyone would benefit from having unbiased therapeutic support in a space that allows you to process, challenge, and grow from unwanted feelings, emotions, and behaviors.
Get to know me
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
In the first therapy session, we will complete an intake assessment that I use to gain insight into your background, including your personal, family, and mental heath history to better understand your needs and goals. We work together to identify where you want your life to be in six months to a year from now, and using that, we identify options and strategies we can use to achieve those goals. We will also spend time discussing the limits of confidentiality, your expectations for what therapy will consist of, and allowing time for you to ask potential questions that you may have. You can expect a supportive, nonjudgmental space where you don't have to filter your feelings or "have it all figured out." Whether you're coming in with a specific goal or just know something feels heavy, we'll start together.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
I am committed to helping my clients find space in their lives to practice self-compassion, explore personal issues, and develop practical tools to help you move forward with resilience. I prioritize my ability to create an environment in which you can share and process pain without judgement or pressure, and my goal is to sit with and truly see you. I believe there is no emotion or feeling that is "too messy" or hard to work through, and my hope is that you feel less alone with anything you are going through.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I have worked with clients ranging from age 14 through adulthood who may not be in crisis, but may be struggling with varying issues including anxiety, depression, self-esteem, relationship challenges, substance use and recovery, or overall difficult stages of life. I approach each session with a goal of creating a safe, warm and nonjudgmental space where I can walk alongside you as you learn to navigate this journey.
Specialties
Top specialties
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My treatment methods
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I've been trained in DBT for over a year, and use it daily during individual therapy sessions at an inpatient level of care. In our sessions, DBT can be used to gain insight into ways you can balance acceptance of your current struggles with the skills used to create change and growth. We focus on how to communicate your needs to your support system, regulate uncomfortable thoughts and emotions, practice mindfulness, and engage in distress tolerance skills.
Motivational Interviewing
Motivating Interview is a method that I find to be really helpful with motivating individuals struggling with ambivalence, to build their own internal motivation through a collaborative approach. I primarily use this method with clients struggling with substance use, co-occurring substance use and mental health concerns, medication compliance, and challenging any other problematic behaviors. As your therapist, we would work together to better understand the gap between certain behaviors your personal goals and values.
Strength-Based
Strength-Based Therapy is based in positive psychology, and can be a very beneficial approach used to focus on your strengths, positive qualities, and resilience to help with identified problems including self-esteem, relationship challenges and recovery. Using this modality, we would work to improve your mindset, quality of life, and view of self.