-Ally to the LGBTQIA+ community, Neurodivergence affirming, Anti-Diet/Health at Every Size aligned- Hello and welcome! I'm thrilled to be considered as part of your wellbeing journey. I'm a LCSW with over 3 years of experience providing therapy services and would be happy to support your therapy goals. I have graduate degrees in both human and social services (2019) and social work (2021). I became DBT certified in 2024 and offer a modified DBT approach. I'm also currently working on my PhD in social work at Walden University. I'm passionate about the benefits of therapy and the positive difference a caring relationship with a therapist can bring. The most important part of my clinical approach is to build a foundation of respect, safety, gentleness and communication. From there, we can work together to support your goals and learn new skills. At this time, I only have openings for adult clients, couples, or families. Limited sliding scale options available for cash pay. In my spare time I enjoy art, animals and pets, being in nature, and traveling.
In our first session, we will focus on getting to know one another and building our therapeutic connection. If ready to do so, I'll explore a little more about your past and what brings you to therapy now. I'd love to learn about what you want to gain from therapy, how you best feel supported, and more about what you think works best for you personally to get the most out of your sessions. We can also begin to think about goals for therapy in this session.
I believe that my strengths as a provider include lived experience with a mental health journey myself, a compassionate and flexible approach, genuine interest in connection with my clients, warmth, and a sense of humor. Therapy can be effective and beneficial without being stuffy or overly clinical!
I greatly enjoy working with those who may need support with anxiety, traumatic experiences, and improving their self-esteem. I have a passion for working with people who may be needing support to develop a peaceful relationship with food, body image, and movement. Disordered eating or just stress around food can be supported with gentleness and curiosity. I am also able to support individuals or couples who wish to explore their relationship style, improve communication, or explore their sexuality in a safe space. Families can be supported to improve communication and to reduce conflict. Together we can explore past or present challenges and work toward increasing coping skills to meet your goals.
Amy Nelson offers therapy covered by Santa Clara Family Health Plan - Medi-Cal in California.
I am primarily a DBT therapist and offer modified DBT as my main intervention. Modified DBT can be utilized as a skill set that will help with reducing distress and navigating triggering situations, feelings, or experiences. (DBT Certified 2024)
For those looking for limited time treatments, we can work together to focus on problem solving through solution-focused treatment methods for present challenges. In as little as 3-6 sessions, we can support skill building and create a toolbox of solution-focused skills for use in day-to-day life.
Using an eclectic mix of therapy modalities including DBT, I offer gentle support for those who have lived experience with trauma, complex or developmental trauma. We will go at your pace and create a foundation of emotional safety before exploring lived trauma experiences.
I am an intersectional feminist practitioner. I support clients to examine the impact of personal, community, and systemic levels of power dynamics, the impact of structural oppression and marginalization, and how intersectional identities impact lived experiences. Resources and interventions with an intersectional feminist lens are integrated within treatment.
Using CBT helps clients examine the relationship between their thoughts, feelings and behaviors. There are a variety of excellent CBT tools that can be useful for children, teens, and adults. Practicing skills from the CBT method helps people navigate many challenges so emotions feel less overwhelming and clients are more empowered. Fee Schedule/Other Details: Session Costs: -Hourly session cost for 53+ minute sessions through Grow Therapy: $140 cash rate. -Insurance options are available, see website. -Sliding scale is available in a limited number of individual counseling slots for those without insurance and experiencing financial hardship. Cost per full session is $70 if income qualified and using Open Path Collective, $80 if not using Open Path Collective and income qualified. Please discuss this with me directly for additional details. -Family Counseling, and Couples Counseling: Available at the $140 cash rate, generally not covered under insurance and not available on the sliding scale. Court: -Court ordered session services may be limited, please speak to therapist about the specifics in your case. -Please note that I do not voluntarily attend court. I do not make custody recommendations or assess fitness for parenting, employment, or other roles. -If I am required to testify in court or attend any type of deposition/legal meetings, you will be charged the cash rate of $140/hour (4 hour minimum per day) plus travel time and expenses due to the amount of time this takes from other clients and for preparation. Payment is due within 10 business days. Deposit of $1,500 will be required in cases of out of town travel that is required for in-person appearances, refunds of unused travel expenses will be provided within 10 business days. -Letters may be written and forms may be filled out on a case-by-case basis. There may be a fee associated with letters/forms being written, this fee is charged at the $140 hourly rate for the actual time spent writing the letter. This is not covered by insurance. Please speak to therapist about specific letter or form needs for details.