Amanda Cross , LCSW

Amanda Cross is a licensed clinical social worker in California with 20 years of experience. She helps people manage stress, anxiety, grief, and low self-esteem. She also supports those facing big life changes and compassion fatigue, with a particular awareness of women's issues.

Amanda believes people know their own story and brings a straightforward, respectful style to sessions. She listens closely and helps clients build on their strengths. Conversations focus on practical steps and clearer thinking rather than long theories.

Her approach blends client-centered listening with tools from cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness. Amanda uses short, doable strategies in session and offers ways to practice them between meetings. She also draws on existential ideas to help people find meaning when life feels uncertain.

Clients can expect a collaborative atmosphere. Amanda asks questions, reflects what she hears, and jointly sets goals for therapy. She encourages small experiments that test new ways of coping and noticing what works.

Over two decades she has worked with people facing caregiver stress, chronic illness and pain, divorce, family of origin issues, isolation, and the stress of military life. She also addresses pregnancy and childbirth concerns, young adult transitions, and issues around self-love and life purpose.

Amanda offers sessions in English and practices from California. Her license is LCSW, which stands for Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She frames therapy as a practical partnership aimed at helping people get unstuck and move toward more satisfying days.

How Amanda Brings Therapeutic Approaches Online

Amanda often uses client-centered therapy to start. That means sessions begin with listening and reflecting so the client feels heard and the therapist can learn what matters most. This approach helps when someone is trying to sort out priorities or gather strength to make changes.

She also uses cognitive behavioral therapy, which looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and actions. CBT offers concrete tools for anxiety, stress, and low mood, such as testing unhelpful thoughts and practicing small behavioral changes that lead to better days.

Deciding on an approach is a team effort. Amanda talks with each person about goals, preferences, and what feels useful in early sessions. Together they choose which strategies to try and adjust the plan as progress is made.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different routines. Video works well for fuller conversations and visual cues. Phone calls can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a quick check-in is needed. Live chat and text are helpful for brief check-ins, processing small steps, or when typing feels more comfortable. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or treatment schedules while keeping the focus on practical change and steady progress.