Meet the provider
Amanda Bruening, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist
Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, Arizona State University
Predoctoral Clinical Internship, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, School of Medicine
M.A., Clinical Psychology, Arizona State University
B.A., Classical Civilizations & Psychology, University of Notre Dame
Pull up a chair
Therapy with me is relational, collaborative, and pretty human. I want you to feel comfortable being yourself in the room, and you can expect the same from me. I take the work seriously, but that does not mean every moment has to feel serious. There's room for humor, honesty, and being real with one another.
I don't believe my job is to have all the answers. In fact, I believe you already have many of them. Knowing and doing, however, are two very different things. Change is really, really hard. Part of my role is helping you understand what gets in the way of being who you want to be and strategize ways to get you there.
Sometimes that means offering support while gently pointing out something you may not have noticed. Other times, it means challenging you in ways you may not particularly like in the moment. My goal isn't for you to end every session feeling amazing. It's for our work to get you somewhere. Where that is - and what it takes to get there - is something we'll figure out together.
Approach
I care about what works. Research plays an important role in how I understand what you're experiencing and how we decide what to do about it. I draw from evidence-based approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), and other transdiagnostic approaches.
But, "evidence-based" doesn't mean one-size-fits-all. This is where the science becomes much more of an art. You bring your own experiences, goals, strengths, and preferences into the room -- and this matters! We'll use that, in combination with research, to shape treatment that makes sense not just in session, but in your actual life.