01 · Who Amanda works with

Amanda works with stress, Anxiety, addictions and family conflicts

Amanda lists 15 specialisms and 44 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Amanda chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Amanda's own words

What Amanda says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

Hello I'm Amanda and I am very excited about this opportunity to connect with you through Better Help. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with over 20 years of work experience in the field of mental health and social services. I received my Bachelor of Science in Human Development with an emphasis in Applied Developmental Psychology and a Minor in Psychology from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California. I later received my Master of Social Work (MSW) from California State University Long Beach and obtained my LCSW in 2005. I have worked primarily in Los Angeles County provided treatment to individuals experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, trauma related disorders, substance use disorders, and severe, persistent mental illnesses. I am very passionate about my work and feel it is essential that clients feel accepted and supported during the therapeutic process. I have training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy , Problem Solving Treatment and Mindfulness Therapy and have a great deal of experiencing doing crisis intervention, risk assessment, and empowering others to develop and enhance their coping strategies. I know how difficult it can be for people to seek mental health treatment but believe this is the beginning of the healing process and the first step toward self improvement.

I am truly looking forward to working with you and supporting you through this journey.

Amanda Garrick, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Amanda works

The 2 approaches Amanda lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Amanda lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Amanda's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Amanda runs a session.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Mindfulness-Based TherapyMBCT

Trains attention on what is happening right now - body, breath, the thought as it arrives - so distress can be observed rather than automatically acted on. Strongest evidence is in preventing depression from recurring, and it is usually taught as a practice you keep doing outside the session.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Amanda practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Amanda's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Amanda at this point.

2. Naming Amanda specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Amanda is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Amanda.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

3 questions worth asking Amanda

Built from what Amanda actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Amanda's - Amanda has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “With 17 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”

  Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LCSW

Licensed in

California

Licence

CA LCSW 22688

Licence number

22688

Licence expires

31 Jan 2027

NPI

1023378288

Years in practice

17

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Amanda's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 9 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Amanda. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.