Amanda Mariona

Something about this moment — whether you're exhausted from anxiety that won't quit, burned out from giving everything to everyone else, or standing at a crossroads you didn't ask for — brought you here. I want you to know: reaching out is the hard part, and you've already done it. I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker based in California, and I work with adults navigating anxiety, burnout, and life transitions — including women managing the particular weight of new motherhood, shifting identity, or carrying experiences that haven't had room to breathe yet. My clinical background includes high-acuity settings, which means I've learned to show up calm and focused when things feel anything but. I accept Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Cigna, Carelon, and several other major insurance plans, and I offer virtual sessions that fit around your real life. I'm not here to hand you a worksheet and call it a day. I'm here to actually help you move.

My approach is direct and collaborative — think of it as building something together, not just talking through problems. I draw primarily on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, which means we'll work to understand the thought patterns and behaviors that are keeping you stuck, and then build concrete, practical tools to shift them. I'm strengths-based in how I see you — I'm not looking for what's broken. I'm looking for what you already have that we can build on. Depending on what's most useful, I may also use Motivational Interviewing or Narrative Therapy to help you reconnect with your own sense of direction. Sessions are warm but focused. We move at your pace — and we move.

Expect to feel heard — actually heard, not just assessed. In our first session, I'll ask you to share what's been going on in your own words: what brought you here, what you'd like to feel different, and what's mattered most to you. I'll ask questions that help us both understand your experience more clearly and begin to identify what you want to work toward. You won't leave with homework or a diagnosis. You'll leave with a clearer sense of what we're building toward together, and a feeling that this was worth showing up for. Most clients tell me they feel a sense of relief after that first session — like something finally has a place to land. That's what I'm going for.