01 · Who Dr. works with

Dr. works with stress, Anxiety, self esteem and bipolar disorder

Dr. lists 10 specialisms and 17 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Dr. chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Dr.'s own words

What Dr. says about the work

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

My name is Dr. Amy Cuellar, and I am a licensed psychologist in the state of Texas. I obtained my PhD in clinical psychology (adult track) from the University of Miami and afterwards completed a pre-doctoral internship (general track) at the James A. Haley VA Hospital and a post-doctoral fellowship at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in the Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center. My area of expertise lies in helping people to achieve their visions of recovery from depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, stress, paranoia, and other problems in living so that they lead lives of meaning. Much of my work has focused on helping people overcome barriers in setting, achieving, and sustaining goals in order to live the lives that they want.

My theoretical orientations are rooted in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and solution focused therapy. I am an advocate of using CBT in many cases because it has the strongest scientific evidence to support its efficacy in decreasing symptoms. When someone appears to be struggling with adjustment to a life transition, however, I tend to use solution focused therapy as my theoretical approach. Regardless of theoretical orientation, however, my style is always collaborative and based in my unwavering belief that everyone has the capacity to grow, change, and recover. I view myself as a partner on a team with my client, and that my clients’ knowledge about themselves as just as important as my knowledge of how to provide therapy. My goal for clients is for them to learn skills so that they can become their own therapists. I would be honored to be a partner on your recovery journey and look forward to meeting you soon.

Selected publications: Johnson, S. L., Cuellar, A. K., & Peckham, A. D. (2014). Risk factors for bipolar disorder. In I. Gotlib & C. Hammen (Eds.) Handbook of Depression, 3rd Edition. New York: Guilford Press.

Johnson, S. J., Cuellar, A. K. & Gershon, A. (2016). The influence of trauma, life events, and social relationships on bipolar depression. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 39,87-94.

Cuellar, A. K., & Johnson, S. L. (2009). Depressive symptoms and affective reactivity to maternal praise and criticism. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 28, 1173-1194.

Dr. Amy Cuellar, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Dr. works

The 3 approaches Dr. lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Dr. lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Dr.'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 Dr. 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.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

Trauma-Focused TherapyTF-CBT · trauma-informed

CBT adapted for people whose difficulty is rooted in a frightening or overwhelming event. Pacing is the point: safety and stabilisation come first, the memory itself is approached gradually and only when you are ready, and the aim is that recalling it stops hijacking the present.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Dr. 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 Dr.'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 Dr. at this point.

2. Naming Dr. specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Dr. 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 Dr..

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

4 questions worth asking Dr.

Built from what Dr. actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Dr.'s - Dr. 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.

• “You offer sessions in English and Spanish. Does the work change depending on which we use?”

  People often reach different material in a first language than in a second. Worth naming before you choose.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

Psychologist

Licensed in

Texas

Licence

TX Psychologist 33368

Licence number

33368

Licence expires

31 May 2028

NPI

1427068360

Years in practice

17

Gender

Female

Languages

English, Spanish

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Dr.'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 Dr.. 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.

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