Amanda Torrini, MSW, LCSW
Hello! My name is Amanda Torrini (she/her/ella), and I am a co-founder/Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) at The Oak Center for DBT & Counseling Services. I provide individual psychotherapy services and co-facilitate groups at our clinic.
I have a specific interest in working with people who have complex histories of trauma, dysfunctional relationship patterns, and trouble with experiencing emotions. If you identify as a person who "always feels things more strongly" than others – or on the flip side, you often feel disconnected and empty – it is possible that you're someone who has trouble with experiencing their emotions. This issue – often referred to as "emotion dysregulation" – is actually pretty common, and if left unaddressed, can cause people to really struggle with the whole “being human” thing. Living a human life is hard – there's usually a lot of emotional pain involved, things get confusing. And despite our best efforts at resolution, we can find ourselves stuck in habits that are not serving us. This can feel intensely discouraging, especially when you feel like you’ve spent so much energy trying to “fix things” with little change to show for it.
In recent years I have focused my work on comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and most recently Dialectical Behavior Therapy Prolonged Exposure (DBT PE), which are two evidence-based treatments that can really help people with these issues when applied at its full “dose”. My perspective on being your therapist is to help you find a balance between acceptance and change. We will work to better understand how you got where you are today, and develop specific skills to help you get on track with living a life that is meaningful and worthwhile to you.
Treatment Focus and Populations of Interest:
Borderline personality disorder
Trauma issues
Anxiety issues
Depression
Suicide and self-harm urges/behaviors
Emotion dysregulation issues in general
Folks dealing with perfectionism and over-control behaviors such as OCD, OCPD, and disordered eating habits
Gender and Sexuality issues
Hispanic/Latinx/Latine issues and acculturative stress
People dealing with life transitions through college and young adulthood
I do my best to continue expanding my education on anti-discriminatory practices and use a systems-level framework that incorporates values of social and economic justice, anti-racism, gender affirming healthcare, and accessibility. Despite my best intentions, oversights are inevitable since I cannot know every individual’s experiences and needs. If you have thoughts, questions, or suggestions on additional steps that can be taken to increase inclusivity in my clinical practice, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly! I would love to hear your feedback.
Education, Employment, and Licensure:
My pursuit of working in the mental health field has grown out of both personal and professional experiences. I have the following degrees and credentials:
LCSW from the Missouri State Committee of Professional Registration Committee for Social Workers
MSW from the University of Missouri – Columbia School of Social Work
BS in Psychology from Truman State University
I have spent the past several years working in a variety of settings including community mental healthcare, non-governmental organizations, and youth development programs. My roles within these systems have included providing individual and group psychotherapy, supervision, case management, advocacy, and furthering program development. This work has allowed me to provide services to a variety of populations including youth and families, adults, refugees and immigrants, those experiencing homelessness, individuals and families dealing with poverty and barriers to resource access, queer and LGBTQIA+ individuals, folks dealing with substance abuse, and people in rural settings.
I am currently in-network with:
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Cigna
Medicaid (MO HealthNet, Healthy Blue, and Home State Health)
Medicare
United Healthcare
I love:
My cats
My spouse
My horse
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Tostones (Google it if you don’t know)
Sunny days
Rainy days
Tea
Cozy sweaters
Fresh air
Finding the funny moments in life
