(she/her)
New to Grow
Hello! I'm Amber Romanyshyn, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in PA. I obtained my Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Moravian College and my Master's Degree in Social Work from Marywood University. I believe therapy is beneficial for everyone, whether you're going through a difficult time or trying to focus on self-improvement. I've been a therapist for over 17 years. I take pride in the work I do and always try to learn more by reading or attending trainings. I let clients tell me their stories and remain non-judgmental. My relationship with the client is a high priority, and I feel it's one of the most important parts of therapy. I prefer for clients to be in control of sessions but will provide direction as needed. I focus on client strengths and use a variety of strategies to help clients address the topics/issues of concern.
During our first session together, I will go over some basic information about privacy and confidentiality and how sessions typically work. The first session will involve me asking questions about why you're starting therapy, symptoms you're experiencing, and background information, such as previous experiences with therapy, education, career, childhood, and other relationships. I want to get to know more about you and who you are while also acknowledging that this first session will only be scratching the surface. After that, I will ask about your goals for therapy to make sure I am clear on what it is that you want to be spending time on during our sessions together. Throughout this first session, I will not try to force you to share more than you are comfortable sharing, as this session tends to cover a lot of information in a short period of time. At the end of the session, I will check in to see if you have any questions for me about anything and schedule our next appointment.
I am flexible in my approach to therapy. My goal is to help clients with their identified goals. I explain how we can work on the topics presented and make sure clients agree with these ideas. I encourage clients to share what their priorities are, and if new issues come up, we can focus on those as well. I want clients to have confidence in their skills and gain clarity for how to proceed in their lives. Because I have worked in a variety of settings - inpatient, residential, in-home, outpatient, and on-campus at a college - I have gained experience that has shaped how I work with clients. I have worked with clients from all different backgrounds and circumstances and display compassion, understanding, and empathy for all clients. I also acknowledge that I do not have the same personal experience as all my clients and want to hear about what they have gone through to learn more and expand my understanding.
I often work with clients who are dealing with anxiety and depression symptoms, such as excessive worrying, racing thoughts, low/no motivation, depressed mood, and withdrawing from other people. Much of the time, these clients don't want to burden others with their problems and don't have an outlet to focus on themselves. Their goals are typically in the realm of reducing anxiety and depression symptoms, improving interpersonal relationships, and feeling more content in their lives.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which helps clients be able to discover and understand the connection between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. By using CBT, we can identify and challenge problematic thoughts, gain more awareness of emotions, and figure out how to take action in different ways to have different (and hopefully preferred) results!
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I also use components of DBT to help clients with learning how to tolerate distress, improve their awareness of the present moment (mindfulness), regulate their emotions, and improve their interpersonal skills.