Amy Anderson, LCSW

Amy Anderson, LCSW Trauma therapist who specializes with couples who have experienced ADHD/OCD/CPTSD symptoms and/or professional burnout.

I offer services in person in San Diego, CA for walk n talk and in office; telehealth for California & Pennsylvania residents.

Valentine’s Day can feel complicated in blended families.When you’re co-parenting, navigating multiple households, honor...
02/09/2026

Valentine’s Day can feel complicated in blended families.

When you’re co-parenting, navigating multiple households, honoring different cultures or traditions, or holding loyalty to children from previous relationships, love doesn’t always fit into a heart-shaped box.

For many blended families, Valentine’s Day brings up:
• divided schedules and shared custody realities
• guilt about where time, attention, or money goes
• kids’ school Valentine’s parties, class lists, and invitations
• questions about who attends which events, and with whom
• children adjusting to new partners or family structures
• cultural differences around romance, affection, or celebration
• the pressure to “make it special” while managing real life

If Valentine’s Day feels heavy, tense, or emotionally layered this year, that doesn’t mean you’re doing anything the wrong way. It means you’re navigating real relationships, real families, and real transitions.

Almost every couple says, “we need to work on our communication.”But communication isn’t just talking more.It’s not winn...
02/06/2026

Almost every couple says, “we need to work on our communication.”

But communication isn’t just talking more.
It’s not winning arguments or “being right”.

Real communication is feeling safe enough to be honest without bracing for impact.

It’s being able to name what’s happening inside you before it turns into distance, defensiveness, or shutdown. It is about knowing how to listen when your partner is overwhelmed, and how to speak when you are.

If you’re navigating step-parenting, co-parenting, or building a non-traditional family and wondering “Why does this fee...
02/04/2026

If you’re navigating step-parenting, co-parenting, or building a non-traditional family and wondering “Why does this feel so complicated even when we love each other?”, this one’s for you.

Read more on the blog at www.amyandersontherapy.com or click the link in my bio! 📖

San Diego has powerful, community-rooted resources created by and for the Black community, spaces focused on healing, ad...
02/02/2026

San Diego has powerful, community-rooted resources created by and for the Black community, spaces focused on healing, advocacy, and connection.

If you’re looking for culturally responsive mental health support, community care, or places that truly understand the lived experience of being Black in this world, these are a few meaningful resources worth knowing about.

Saving this, sharing it, or simply knowing these resources exist can matter more than we realize.

Let’s talk about the quiet pressure of January.The bills, the budgets, the inbox full of “Tax Season Reminders.”And bene...
01/30/2026

Let’s talk about the quiet pressure of January.

The bills, the budgets, the inbox full of “Tax Season Reminders.”
And beneath it all… the deeper question:

Where is my money actually going? And does it reflect what I care about?

Because what we spend on; time, energy, or money, often reveals what we value… or what we’ve been taught to value, even if it no longer fits.

This is your gentle check-in:
– Are your spending habits aligned with your current season of life?
– Do your expenses support your well-being, or someone else’s expectations?
– What do you want to prioritize in 2026?

On paper, everything looks great. You’ve built a life that’s full: careers, kids, calendars, commitments.But behind clos...
01/28/2026

On paper, everything looks great. You’ve built a life that’s full: careers, kids, calendars, commitments.

But behind closed doors?

So many high-achieving couples tell me the same thing:
“We’re exhausted. We’re missing each other. We’re doing everything right, but something still feels off.”

This week’s blog explores a common, overlooked dynamic in high-performing relationships:
undiagnosed or misunderstood ADD/ADHD.

When ADHD shows up in adult partnerships, it’s not always obvious. It looks like:
– Chronic overwhelm
– Emotional shutdowns
– Resentment over “who carries what”
– A constant sense that connection is just out of reach

And the worst part?
It’s often misread as laziness, disinterest, or not caring enough.

But what if it’s none of those things?
What if the root of the problem is neurological, and treatable?

🧠 This blog breaks down what ADHD really looks like in relationships (especially for successful couples), and how we start to heal with structure and compassion.

From the outside, you’ve got it handled; career, family, responsibilities.But inside your relationship? Things feel… har...
01/28/2026

From the outside, you’ve got it handled; career, family, responsibilities.
But inside your relationship? Things feel… harder than they should.

You’re not alone.
Many high-achieving couples struggle with emotional reactivity, burnout, miscommunication, or distance—and wonder why success in life doesn’t translate to ease in love.

✨ This week’s blog dives into why trauma often shows up strongest in high-performing relationships:
— How early attachment wounds hide behind achievement
— Why stress & perfectionism fuel disconnection
— And how nervous system responses quietly shape conflict cycles

As tax season approaches, it’s a good time to pause and ask:Where is my energy, money, and attention going?Is it aligned...
01/26/2026

As tax season approaches, it’s a good time to pause and ask:
Where is my energy, money, and attention going?
Is it aligned with what truly matters to me—or with what I think I should care about?

For many of us, financial habits are layered:
🔁 Cultural or family expectations
🔁 Trauma-informed survival patterns
🔁 Guilt around spending or receiving
🔁 Chronic productivity that blurs priorities

This isn’t about judgment. It’s about clarity.
Your values get to guide how you invest: your time, your money, and your energy.

Not sure what that alignment looks like? Therapy can help untangle the stories behind your spending, your saving, and your self-worth.

What if your choices didn’t have to make sense to everyone else?So many high-achieving, sensitive, or trauma-informed fo...
01/23/2026

What if your choices didn’t have to make sense to everyone else?

So many high-achieving, sensitive, or trauma-informed folks are wired to prioritize other people’s comfort. To over-explain. To second-guess. To keep the peace even when it costs their own.

But healing asks a different question:
What actually feels good to me?

Not what looks good. Not what earns praise. Not what keeps others happy.

This week’s reminder:
You don’t need to justify your softness, your rest, your boundaries, or your joy.
Feeling good is a valid compass. You get to choose your life, on your terms.

💬 What’s one thing you’re choosing for you right now?

In this blog, I explore why high-achieving couples often find emotional intimacy harder than professional success. I bre...
01/21/2026

In this blog, I explore why high-achieving couples often find emotional intimacy harder than professional success. I break down how perfectionism, avoidance, and “fix-it” tendencies can quietly erode connection, and what helps.

If you’ve ever thought, “We’re great on paper… why does this feel so hard?”, this is for you.

📖 Read the full blog to explore why trauma shows up louder in high-functioning relationships, and how you can begin shifting the patterns toward healing, regulation, and true connection.

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.Some days, love fee...
01/19/2026

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Some days, love feels like the heavier choice.
To stay soft in a hard world.
To keep showing up with hope when cynicism feels easier.
To remain open when you’ve been hurt before.

But love, real love, not performative or polished, is what makes us human.
It’s what helps us keep going.
Even when the world feels overwhelming.
Even when the headlines are heavy.
Even when everything in you wants to shut down.

Today, we honor the power of love as action.
As resistance.
As healing.
As care.

Not just for others but for yourself, too. 🤍

Letting go can feel like losing part of yourself, and that’s what makes this work so deeply personal. Because identity a...
01/16/2026

Letting go can feel like losing part of yourself, and that’s what makes this work so deeply personal. Because identity and coping are often intertwined.

You’re not empty without it. You’re uncovering what’s always been there, and building something that actually fits.

If you’re navigating this shift, I’m here to support you. Therapy helps you gently ask:
💫What parts of you were you trying to soothe?
💫What roles did substances play in your relationships?
💫What else could connection, peace, or celebration look like?

Address

2525 Camino Del Rio S
San Diego, CA
92108

Telephone

(619) 597-1505

Website

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Breathe. It’s going to be ok.

Hello and thank you for checking out my page! I’m excited to offer clinical counseling services aimed to help you reduce distress surrounding life transitions (divorce/separation, relocation, new job or career path, new relationship, generational changes, etc.), anxiety, depression, substance abuse, relationship turbulence, and preparing and planning for healthier future life changes. I use Solution Focused, Strength Based, Trauma Informed therapeutic approaches that are also rooted in Positive Psychology and Cognitive Behavioral frameworks to help my clients achieve the life satisfaction they are looking for.

I offer these services in Central San Diego in Mission Valley on Tuesdays on a part time basis. I also offer Clinical Supervision for new and aspiring therapists who are pursing licensure in the state of California. I offer a weekly clinical supervision group as well as individual supervision appointments. Please feel free to give me a call or message me here if you have any further questions or would like to schedule a session!