Amanda Palacios

Hi there! I’m an LCSW in VA with my MSW from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and my BFA from The College of New Jersey.

My practice primarily focuses on young adults and early-middle adults who are seeking to navigate through anxiety, depression, stress, various relationship/interpersonal challenges, and life transitions. While I have experience in adolescent and family systems, my current work is centered on supporting adults as they make meaningful changes in their lives. I have a collaborative and real-world approach to therapy. I think a lot about therapeutic fit; I truly believe the right therapist for the right person actually makes a huge difference.

My style is warm, flexible, and rooted in evidence-based interventions. I work best with people who are open-minded to the process and willing to explore what change may look and feel like. It is okay if you don’t know where to start yet.

Outside of work, I’m creative, adventurous, animal-loving, and enjoy being in the present.

My approach is collaborative, flexible, and rooted in meeting my clients where they are at. I draw from several evidence-based approaches: CBT, DBT, ACT, MI, and ABFT. I integrate trauma-informed care into my practice and can utilize EMDR if requested for working through trauma and further emotional processing. I have experience supporting people navigating substance use disorder and process addictions.

What does all of this mean? The way I conduct therapy is tailored to the person in front of me. Sometimes we may focus on skills and healthy coping strategies, or sometimes we work on building insight and judgment. I can assist you in recognizing emotional patterns, often through using a combination of one or more of the aforementioned modalities. My goal is to support you through listening, humor, and processing while also being direct and challenging maladaptive patterns when it’s clinically helpful for your growth.

I know that starting therapy can sometimes feel a little uncomfortable, especially in the first few sessions! That said, we’ll start by getting to know each other at a pace that feels comfortable for you and building rapport. We’ll talk about what’s bringing you to therapy, what’s been going on lately, and any background info that feels important. I’ll also spend time learning about your goals to craft an appropriate treatment plan for you. I’ll explain how I typically work, and you may ask any questions you have along the way. The most important thing is that from the beginning, you feel you’ve entered a supportive environment where you can also see deeper self-reflection occurring. I hope working together feels like the right fit :)