Amanda Garrick, LCSW

Amanda Garrick is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in California with 17 years of clinical experience. She focuses on common problems like stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, and grief. Amanda aims to make the first step into therapy feel manageable and welcoming for people who are worried or overwhelmed.

Her background includes work in mental health and social services across Los Angeles County. Amanda trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness Therapy and has a long history of crisis intervention and risk assessment. She also has experience supporting people facing trauma, relationship and intimacy concerns, parenting stress, and ADHD-related challenges.

In sessions she helps people identify practical coping strategies. She uses straightforward tools to notice thinking patterns, reduce distress, and try new behaviors between meetings. Mindfulness techniques are used to build moment-to-moment awareness and calm when helpful.

Amanda emphasizes acceptance and support as a starting point. She works with clients to set clear, achievable goals and tracks progress over time. Her approach blends skill teaching, problem solving, and steady emotional support.

People who prefer direct, practical therapy that also addresses emotional pain may find this style useful. For those dealing with life changes, caregiving strain, body image concerns, or complex mood and personality-related issues, Amanda offers structured guidance and real-world strategies to try between sessions.

How Amanda Uses CBT and Mindfulness Online

Amanda draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice and change unhelpful thought patterns. CBT sessions often focus on small, concrete experiments and simple tools to test thoughts and try new behaviors, which can ease anxiety and depression.

She also incorporates Mindfulness Therapy to build present-moment awareness and reduce reactivity. Mindfulness practices in sessions are brief and practical, such as guided attention exercises or short breathing practices that can be repeated between meetings.

Choosing the right approach is a team effort. Amanda works with each person to decide which methods fit their goals, needs, and daily life. She treats approach selection as flexible, checking in and adjusting plans as progress is made.

If you are considering online therapy, confirm the available session formats before booking so you know how meetings will be held. Online work can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. Therapists can also assign simple between-session exercises to practice in real life, which helps skills stick and keeps momentum between meetings.