Amanda Bittner, PHD, LPC (MO), LCPC (IL), CCMHC, ACS
DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified DBT Clinician
Areas of Expertise: Borderline Personality Disorder, PTSD/trauma, couples counseling, sexual assault, relationship issues, codependency, depression, anxiety, emotion dysregulation, non-suicidal self-injury, chronic suicidal ideation, clinical supervision, clinical training
Treatments Provided: Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Integrative Behavioral Couples Therapy (IBCT)
Certifications: DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified DBT Clinician (2017); Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC, 2018); Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS, 2016); DBT Core Certified (MO Department of Mental Health, 2011)
Education: PHD Counselor Education & Supervision (University of Missouri-St. Louis, 2019); MA Community Counseling (Loyola University Chicago, 2009); BS Psychology (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2007)
Accepted Insurance Plans: Out-of-Network (superbill can be provided)
Private pay fee: $165 per individual session (sliding scale sometimes offered)
Dr. Amanda Bittner (she/her) has been in clinical and supervision practice for over 14 years and has worked in a variety of settings including community mental health, schools and universities, and private practice. She is licensed in both Missouri and Illinois. She founded Upaya Counseling, LLC in October 2020 where she provides therapy as well as supervision for clinicians pursuing full counseling licensure. Dr. Bittner supervises and trains the therapists of Upaya and has provided training on various topics for clinicians in the St. Louis community. At Upaya, she works with adults doing individual, couples, and group therapy.
In 2017, Dr. Bittner became a DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified DBT Clinician. This requires years of successful treatment delivery of DBT, commitment and adherence to the treatment model, and exhibition of the required therapeutic skills of DBT. Her expertise in DBT and other evidence-based treatments as well as her doctoral training as a counselor educator and supervisor has allowed her to develop and lead Upaya’s team of highly skilled clinicians. She is the leader of Upaya’s DBT Consultation Team.
Dr. Bittner's areas of expertise are grounded in a deep empathy for those with emotion dysregulation often as a result of psychological or emotional abuse, chronic invalidation, sexual assault and other relational traumas. She is committed to intervening on the use of suicidal behavior and/or non-suicidal self-injury as a means of emotion regulation. Dr. Bittner is especially interested in reducing codependent patterns in individuals and working with higher conflict marital or romantic relationships. She has strong experience and skills with these additional elements: addictions, LGBTQIA+ concerns, over-control/pervasive anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive patterns.
In her free time, Amanda loves to work on home projects, play with her two dogs Lexie & Joanie, exercise, and see movies at the theater. Please reach out if you are interested in doing therapy or supervision for licensure with Amanda by emailing [email protected] or calling 314-252-0675.