If you've never been in therapy before, I know it can be a scary step. Be proud of your bravery. If you have been in therapy before, I'm glad you chose to return. Either way, my job is to help you find your strengths to learn to manage any issues you are dealing with so you can find your peace again. It is a journey and it won't always be easy but it will be worth it. I have been a therapist and a psychology professor for almost 30 years. I have worked with children, teens, and adults, although I have spent the majority of my career working with teens. I enjoy teens. I have a lot of patience for them. I believe in psychoeducation in therapy. I think that it's not only important to understand what you are doing but why you are doing it. Only by understanding both can you make the changes necessary for long-term happiness. I also believe in working on both the present and the past. I want to help you figure out how to make the present better immediately, while also working to understand anything from your past that may have helped lead to any current issues. Working on both in combination will give the most thorough explanation and avenue for effective treatment. Most importantly, I believe in working together. I may be the "expert" but only you know what is working and what isn't. I will ask you for feedback and I will listen to what you have to say. I am more than willing to do phone appointments if you find them more comfortable than video appointments. Just let me know.

What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?

In our first session, I'll get a little background regarding the problem you're dealing with. I will also give you concrete suggestions of things you can do between sessions from the first session. I want to help you decrease your distress as soon as possible, rather than having to wait for several suggestions before we talk about things that can help you.

What treatment methods and tools do you utilize?

I am a big proponent of cognitive-behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, client-centered therapy, and solution-focused therapy. These therapies help you to change how you think about things, while helping you to learn to tolerate how you feel. They teach you to act despite your feelings. They put you in partnership with your therapist for your treatment, while focusing more on solutions to your problems than on the problems themselves.

Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.

My biggest strengths are depression and anxiety, particularly generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and social phobia. I also have experience in working with ADHD in children and adults and in men and women. I have extensive experience in suicide assessment and safety planning. I am also diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and ADHD. Not only do I understand these disorders from a clinical perspective but I understand them from a subjective perspective. I have struggled with and learned to manage these issues. If you are looking for someone who truly understands what you are going through, I am right here.

About Dr. Amy Guertin