Amanda Gleichauf
Hi, I’m Amanda, a licensed clinical social worker. I work with children, teens, and young adults who may look like they’re doing okay on the outside but are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, stressed, emotional, stuck, or unsure of themselves underneath it all. Whether your child is having bigger emotions lately, struggling with confidence, navigating friendships, feeling pressure at school, or just not seeming like themselves, therapy can be a place to slow down, feel understood, and build tools that actually fit their life. My goal is to create a space that feels comfortable, genuine, and supportive—not intimidating—where clients can show up as themselves while learning ways to manage emotions, build confidence, improve relationships, and feel more like themselves again. I also work alongside caregivers because meaningful change happens both in and outside of sessions.
Many clients say they leave sessions feeling seen, supported, and encouraged, ready to take small but meaningful steps toward change.
First session
Your first session is about getting to know you, not putting you in a box or trying to solve everything in one appointment. We’ll talk about what brought you to therapy, what has been weighing on you, and what you would like to change. I’ll also begin helping you make sense of patterns you may be noticing in your thoughts, relationships, emotions, or behaviors. You don’t need to come in knowing exactly what you need or be ready to talk about everything. I understand that opening up can take time, especially when you’ve had experiences that have made it difficult to trust or feel understood. My approach is warm, genuine, and direct, and I’ll meet you where you are while also gently pointing out patterns that may be keeping you stuck. By the end of the first session, my goal is for you to feel heard and understood and to have a clearer idea of what we can work on together. We’ll begin creating a treatment plan that feels meaningful to your life, not just checking boxes.
Strengths
One of the strengths I bring into session is that I show up as a real person first. I believe meaningful therapy happens through genuine connection, not just techniques or checklists. Clients often tell me they appreciate that I am warm, direct, and authentic—and that they feel comfortable being themselves without feeling judged or analyzed. I also bring both professional knowledge and lived experiences that help me connect with people in a human way while still keeping the focus on their story and goals. I work to help clients feel truly seen and understood, especially when they’ve spent a long time feeling misunderstood, overlooked, or like they “should be able to handle it.”
Ideal clients
My ideal clients are teens, young adults, and adults who may be navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship difficulties, low self-esteem, or major life transitions. They may be students trying to manage school and relationships, parents balancing family responsibilities, or working adults who feel overwhelmed, stuck, or disconnected from themselves. I especially enjoy working with clients who may look like they are “holding it all together” on the outside but are struggling internally. They may be tired of feeling anxious, overthinking everything, repeating the same relationship patterns, or putting everyone else’s needs before their own. Some may have experienced difficult or traumatic relationships and are trying to understand how those experiences continue to affect them today. My clients do not need to have everything figured out before starting therapy. I work well with people who are willing to be honest, curious about themselves, and interested in making meaningful changes. Together, we focus on helping them feel more grounded, confident, and connected to themselves while developing practical tools they can use in everyday life.
Origin story
My path to becoming a therapist was shaped in part by my own upbringing and my curiosity about how people become who they are. I have always been fascinated by how our experiences, relationships, family dynamics, and the ways we learn to cope can influence how we see ourselves and interact with the world. I became especially interested in the idea that where we come from does not have to determine where we end up. Not everyone grows up in an emotionally mature family or in circumstances that naturally teach healthy communication, boundaries, or self-worth. Yet people can still learn, grow, and create something different for themselves. That is what drew me to this work. I want my clients to feel empowered rather than defined by their past. I enjoy helping people understand their patterns, make sense of where those patterns came from, and recognize that they have choices about what happens next. Therapy, to me, is about creating a space where people can feel genuinely seen while also being encouraged to grow, make changes, and become more confident in who they are.
Ongoing work together
Our ongoing work will be collaborative, practical, and focused on helping you understand not only what you are feeling, but why certain patterns keep showing up in your life. Depending on your goals, we may work on anxiety, trauma, relationships, self-esteem, emotional regulation, or navigating a major life transition. I use a combination of CBT, IFS, and trauma-focused approaches, while adapting therapy to what actually feels useful for you. At times, we may focus on practical coping tools and changing unhelpful thought patterns; other times, we may slow down and explore deeper experiences, relationship patterns, and the different parts of yourself that show up when you feel overwhelmed. Progress does not always mean that you never feel anxious, sad, or triggered. It may look like reacting differently, understanding yourself more clearly, setting healthier boundaries, communicating more effectively, feeling more confident, or recovering more quickly when something difficult happens. Over time, I want you to feel like you have more control over your responses and more ability to make choices that reflect the life and relationships you actually want.
Treatment methods
Eclectic
I take an eclectic approach, drawing from several evidence-based therapies to fit each client’s unique needs. This allows our work to be flexible and responsive, whether we’re focusing on insight, coping skills, or creating change in daily life.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Through IFS (Internal Family Systems), I help clients better understand the different “parts” of themselves that may show up during stress, such as the part that feels anxious, overwhelmed, angry, or self-critical. This approach can help clients develop greater self-compassion and understand where these patterns come from without judging themselves for having them.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
With CBT, I help clients identify patterns in their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that may be contributing to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, or relationship difficulties. We work together to challenge unhelpful thought patterns and develop practical strategies that can be used in everyday life.
Trauma-Focused CBT
My trauma-focused approach emphasizes creating a safe and supportive space to understand how past experiences may continue to affect emotions, relationships, self-esteem, and daily functioning. We work at a pace that feels manageable for the client while building coping skills, emotional safety, and a stronger sense of control. I see these approaches as complementary. Therapy may involve practical CBT tools, deeper exploration of internal patterns through IFS, and trauma-focused work to help clients move from simply understanding what happened to feeling more empowered in their lives today.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
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Licensed in
- New YorkLicense 101395