Amanda Larson, MSW, LSW, is a Licensed Social Worker in New Jersey, holding a Master's in Social Work from Rutgers University. She has a wealth of experience working with young adults, adults, and older adults in both outpatient settings and crisis intervention, complemented by certified training in grief and loss work and group therapy.

Amanda is committed to helping you navigate a range of topics, including grief, life transitions, trauma, chronic illness, medical experiences, anxiety, and depression. Her sessions are warm and unhurried, creating a safe and supportive environment to share and process your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

Amanda's approach is inclusive and grief- and trauma-informed, weaving mindfulness techniques into traditional talk therapy. She also recognizes that grief can manifest in many ways—not just through the loss of loved ones, but also through the loss of dreams, health, identity, and the futures we once envisioned. Drawing on training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Prolonged Grief Therapy (PGT), each session is tailored to the needs and goals you identify.

Amanda brings decades of experience building meaningful relationships into this second career, following twenty years in documentary filmmaking, nonprofits, and education. Her passion for compassionate mental health support is further shaped by early work in community health and veterinary medicine, and by lived experience as a cancer patient. She volunteers with Good Grief, a family bereavement center, and FORCE, a national nonprofit supporting hereditary cancer patients and their families. 

Amanda is a great fit for you if you are...

• Grieving the loss of a loved one, a relationship, your health, or the future you imagined.

• Living with a chronic illness or navigating a new medical diagnosis and want support from someone who understands the emotional impact of health challenges.

• Feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, depression, or a major life transition and are looking for a compassionate, steady presence.

• Experiencing trauma and want a therapist who takes a gentle, trauma-informed approach to healing.

• Seeking a thoughtful, collaborative therapist who will help you process difficult emotions while building resilience and hope.