Dr. Amanda Werdann-Mendez, DSW, LCSW

Hi! I’m Dr. Amanda Werdann-Mendez, a Doctorate in Social Work, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and trauma-informed therapist. I specialize in trauma and borderline personality disorder.

Maybe you've spent years wondering why everything feels so much harder for you than it seems to be for everyone else.
You replay conversations long after they've ended, wondering if you said the wrong thing. You worry people are upset with you, even when they haven't said anything. You crave close relationships but find yourself pulling away, becoming overly dependent, or feeling hurt more deeply than you'd like. Small situations can trigger overwhelming emotions, and afterward you may wonder, "Why did I react like that?"

Perhaps you've been told you're "too sensitive," "too emotional," or that you overthink everything. Maybe you've learned to hide how much you're struggling because from the outside, you seem like you have it all together. If this sounds familiar, I want you to know this is a common experience for many people who live with CPTSD and/or BPD. You are not defective, you are not broken, you are simply experiencing life through experiences of someone who had significant adversity and I can support you in rewiring your brain to feel the way you want to feel.

Often, these patterns develop as understandable responses to painful experiences, trauma, inconsistent relationships, or environments where your emotional needs weren't fully met. Your mind and body learned ways to survive that may no longer be serving you today.
I specialize in helping adults who feel emotionally overwhelmed, struggle with complex trauma (CPTSD), borderline personality disorder (BPD), anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, and low self-worth. Many of my clients have spent years trying to understand themselves. They've read books, listened to podcasts, watched videos, and even been in therapy before, yet still find themselves repeating the same painful patterns.

My goal isn't simply to teach coping skills. It's to help you understand why your emotions feel so intense, why certain situations trigger you, and how your past continues to shape the way you see yourself and others. Once we understand those patterns, lasting change becomes much more possible. Together, we'll slow things down, make sense of what's happening beneath the surface, and build the confidence to respond differently.

My approach is warm, collaborative, and trauma-informed. I don't believe healing happens by being told to "just think differently" or "calm down." Instead, we'll work to understand your nervous system, your relationships, your past experiences, and the beliefs you've developed about yourself over time.

I integrate evidence-based therapies including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness, and attachment-focused interventions.
Clients often come to me because they're struggling with:
- Intense emotions that feel difficult to manage
- Fear of abandonment or rejection
- People-pleasing and difficulty setting boundaries
- Constant overthinking and self-criticism
- Feeling emotionally exhausted
- Relationship conflict or unhealthy relationship patterns
- Childhood trauma or emotionally invalidating experiences
- Difficulty trusting others
- Anxiety that never seems to quiet down
- Feeling disconnected from themselves
- Shame, guilt, or feeling "not good enough"
- Identity confusion or not knowing who they are outside of caring for others
I also understand that trauma doesn't always come from one major event. Sometimes it's years of walking on eggshells, feeling unseen, never knowing what to expect, growing up too quickly, or learning that your emotions weren't safe to express. Those experiences can shape how you relate to yourself and others long into adulthood.

Healing isn't about becoming someone new.

It's about understanding yourself with compassion, processing experiences that continue to affect you, and learning healthier ways to respond so that your emotions no longer feel like they're in control of your life.

As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Doctor of Social Work, I combine clinical expertise with genuine human connection. I believe you deserve a therapist who not only understands the research behind trauma and emotional regulation but also creates a space where you feel truly seen and accepted.

Whether you're navigating complex trauma, borderline personality disorder, anxiety, depression, relationship struggles, infertility, chronic stress, or major life transitions, we'll work together to identify what's keeping you stuck and help you build a life that feels more stable, meaningful, and authentic.

You don't have to keep carrying everything on your own. Healing is possible, and you don't have to do it alone. Reach out for a free consultation.