Amanda Leone, MSW, LSW

She/her/hers

Medford Office

Internal Family Systems Trained Therapist, Level 1

Amanda is a licensed social worker in the State of New Jersey in the process of completing requirements for her license in Clinical Social Work. With a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania, she has also completed a postgraduate degree in Equine Facilitated Mental Health Therapy. Amanda has had intensive training and certifications in Equine Assisted Therapy retains certifications through EAGALA and Equilateral. 

 

As a life-long horsewoman, Amanda discovered the “magic” of horses and nature at a young age and has spent her career building a bridge between traditional therapies and experiential therapies, like Wilderness and Equine Assisted Therapies. Throughout her career in both inpatient and outpatient behavioral health programs, Amanda has worked with adolescents, adults, families, and groups in providing trauma-focused therapies for complex-trauma, eating disorders, anxiety/depression, and grief.

 

Serving as a guiding light, Amanda invites clients to move towards discovering their authentic selves. As partners on this journey, she invites clients to learn how to embrace vulnerability in the present by providing a holistic setting that helps clients feel safe and grounded. Throughout this process, there can be so much self discovery around patterns from the past, issues that impact our ability to love ourselves and those around us, and the uncovering of layers that create harsh inner critics, anxiety/depression, personal, and interpersonal conflicts.

 

As a lover of animals and the wilderness, Amanda is equally open hearted towards humans and is described by others as intuitive and compassionate.  She helps her clients identify what feels authentic within them so they can access the strengths they have inside. Amanda has the unique ability to use the experiential, somatic, and intuitive nature of horses as part of her holistic approach to psychotherapy to support clients who may need more than the traditional talk therapy. 

 “There will be times when standing alone feels too hard, too scary, and we’ll doubt our ability to make our way through the uncertainty. Someone, somewhere, will say, ‘Don’t do it. You don’t have what it takes to survive the wilderness.’ This is when you reach deep into your wild heart and remind yourself, ‘I am the wilderness.'”

– Brene Brown

Amanda provides an integrative approach to therapy, blending the systematic protocol of EMDR (Equilateral) with modalities like Internal Family Systems, Somatic Psychotherapy, and Equine Assisted Therapy. She also enjoys the use of metaphors, meditation, and mindfulness activities to help clients on their journey of healing. Amanda is especially drawn to supporting clients with anxiety/depression, eating disorders, trauma, relationship/attachment issues, gender identity, chronic illness, and self discovery. She believes the best clinical work is achieved by  “owning your inner wilderness” by empowering people to heal and no longer be defined by limiting beliefs.

When Amanda is not in the office she is either off on an adventure in the wilderness or heading to the beach. She is the proud Mama of two beautiful children, and loves spending time cooking for her family and friends. When she’s not at the barn with her horses, Amanda enjoys downtime curling up on the couch with a good book surrounded by her dogs and cats.