IFSTherapists

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LCSW

Amanda Irwin-Rugg, LCSW

  • Experience4 years
  • LocationPennsylvania
  • Focus areasStress and Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, and Grief
  • Therapy approachesInternal Family Systems and Attachment-Based Therapy
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About Amanda

Amanda Irwin-Rugg is a licensed clinical social worker who focuses on helping people navigate stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, and major life changes.

Background and approach

She brings a strengths-based, client-centered stance to her work, honoring each person as the expert on their own experience while offering evidence-informed tools to reduce distress and build resilience.

With four years of professional experience and licensure in Pennsylvania (OR LCSW L15903, PA LCSW CW023812), Amanda integrates a range of approaches including Internal Family Systems, attachment-informed techniques, CBT, and DBT skills to match individual needs.

She also has training in EMDR for trauma processing and addresses related concerns such as abandonment, attachment issues, body image, codependency, dissociation, and eating-related difficulties. Amanda aims to create a collaborative space where practical skills and deeper exploratory work can coexist to support healing and growth.

Therapeutic Approaches and Accessible Online Care

Internal Family Systems (IFS) views the mind as composed of parts with different roles and feelings; this approach helps clients notice internal conflicts, develop self-leadership, and gently unburden parts that carry trauma or extreme beliefs. Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on relational patterns developed early in life and helps people understand how those patterns shape current relationships, which can be useful for concerns like abandonment, attachment issues, and communication problems.

Finding the right approach is often a collaborative process. Amanda will work with clients to explore which methods fit their needs and goals, blending parts work, attachment perspectives, and skill-based tools so the plan reflects personal preferences and the issues being addressed.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, offering flexibility for those with busy schedules or mobility constraints. These formats make it easier to access licensed professionals from Pennsylvania and allow continuity of care through a combination of real-time sessions and ongoing messaging when helpful.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does this therapist address?
Amanda works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, and coping with life changes, and also addresses related issues such as abandonment, attachment challenges, body image, dissociation, and eating and food-related concerns.
How would she describe her therapeutic style?
She uses a client-centered, strengths-based stance that combines practical skill-building with exploratory work to help clients understand patterns and develop healthier coping strategies.
What is her clinical background and experience?
She has four years of professional experience and has trained in modalities such as EMDR and Internal Family Systems alongside CBT and DBT-informed techniques.
Where is she licensed and what are her credentials?
She is a licensed clinical social worker with credentials listed as OR LCSW L15903 and PA LCSW CW023812 and practices from Pennsylvania.
Does she offer services in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are provided in English and she is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are available with this therapist?
She offers multiple online formats including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences and needs.
How are fees and payment handled?
Costs vary with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What steps are needed to begin working together?
To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyTrauma and abuseGriefDepressionCoping with life changes

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAttachment issuesBody imageCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)DissociationDomestic violenceEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFertility issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMood disordersPanic disorder and panic attacksPersonality disordersPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseWomen's issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

4+ years

Licensed

Pennsylvania, Oregon

Languages

English