Amanda Kelsheimer

Amanda Kelsheimer (she, her) is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 10 years of experience serving clients within inpatient/rehabilitation settings, intensive in-home therapy and outpatient therapy services. She is passionate about working with kids’ “behavioral problems” by enhancing attachment and emotional regulation in hands-on, intensive ways through play. With older children and families of adults, Amanda uses experiential in-the-moment processing of what is happening in the room with families. She knows that families can get stuck in patterns of disconnection. Amanda enjoys mapping out these cycles of distress and supporting families in shifting generational patterns to find new ways to connect.

Attachment is not only interpersonal, but also intrapersonal. Through Amanda’s work, individuals can deepen their relationship with themselves. Often therapy is the process of understanding what makes sense about folks’ protections and validating their reasonable reactions to wounds and trauma. She loves working alongside clients as they come home to themselves, and re-establish a relationship with their intuition.

Amanda strives to always practice antiracism and cultural humility. She is LGBTQIA+ affirming and poly-affirming. Amanda welcomes open dialogue about how clients experience this in the room.

Specialties

Communication, life transitions, self-worth, people-pleasing, family of origin experiences, adverse experiences in childhood, trauma, grief and loss, anxiety, depression, shame and guilt, parenting practices, school performance, behavioral concerns, blended families, multigenerational families, gender identity, sexual identity, youth and teen exploration of self/identity, strengthening attachment and/or connection, defiance, impulsivity, dysregulation, tantrums, autism, ADHD, separation, finding shared parenting strategies, social skills.

Treatment Modalities

Amanda uses Emotionally Focused Family therapy (EFFT), Theraplay, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and CBT with children, teens and families of adults. Amanda leans on Internal Family Systems (IFS), experiential and somatic approaches to support individuals.

Education

• Bachelor of Science, Psychology, George Mason University, 2015

• Master of Social Work, Simmons University, 2019

Licenses and Certificates of Completion

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker
• Level One Theraplay training
• Level Two Emotionally Focused Family Therapy training
• Parent-Child Interaction Therapy Within-Agency Trainer
• MATCH-ADTC (CBT for Children with Anxiety, Depression and Conduct problems)
• Core Competency (CBT approach with adolescents)
• Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
• SBIRT: Screen, Brief intervention and Referral to Treatment for substance use