About Amy Bednarski, LPC | Certified EMDR Therapist in Glendale, Arizona, and Minnesota
My path to becoming a therapist started with
my own healing
I’m not someone who chose this career from the outside looking in. I chose it because I've known what it's like to struggle- and I've also known the relief that comes when the right support finally shows up.
Amy Bednarski, MA, LPC | Certified EMDR Therapist
For most of my childhood and young adulthood, I struggled with depression, anxiety, and a deep sense that something was wrong with me. I felt alone in my pain. I didn’t have the language for what I was experiencing, and I didn’t know how to ask for help. So I did what a lot of people do — I pushed through it, I put on a happy face and masked my pain.
By the time I was in college, I was studying to become a veterinarian. It was a logical plan. After all, I have always had a love for animals, with an especially soft spot for dogs. But underneath the surface, I was falling apart. Eventually everything I'd been carrying caught up with me--depression, disordered eating, and a growing sense that the life I was living wasn't what it was meant to be. I wasn't who I wanted to be.
Therapy changed everything. But not at first. Traditional talk therapy helped me feel heard and less alone, but it didn't reach the deeper places where the pain actually lived. It wasn't until I experienced EMDR and IFS that I truly began to understand where my struggles really came from--and started healing what I never even knew needed healing.
That experience is what led me to this work. Though I began my college journey in veterinary science, my path eventually led me to change my major to Psychology, and the calling to become a therapist. No one should have to walk alone in their pain or feel permanently broken. That belief is what drives everything I do.
From struggling in silence to helping others heal
I’m not the therapist who just nods along.
I’m active, attuned, and intentional. I notice what’s happening beneath the words — the shifts in your body, the things you almost say, the patterns you can’t see on your own. I’ll gently guide you into the places that feel too scary to go alone, and I’ll be right there with you.
My clients tell me they feel seen in a way they haven’t before — that there’s a safety in our sessions that lets them finally let the walls down. Nothing is off-limits here. You can bring the messy, the ugly, the things you’ve never said out loud. And if you’re not ready to go there yet? That’s okay too. You always have a voice in the pace of your therapy, and I will always respect that.
People who work with me describe me as warm, grounded, and insightful. I won't just listen quietly--I'll help you connect the dots to gain clarity about what's really going on with you, and do the kind of deep work that creates lasting change.
20+ years of experience. Always learning
I'm a Licensed Professional Counselor(LPC) with over 20 years of experience. I have worked as a therapist in residential treatment, outpatient community mental health, and private practice.
I'm a Certified EMDR therapist with advanced training in dissociation, complex trauma, and attachment. I also utilize Internal Family Systems(IFS) to help clients access greater clarity of their internal world, increase self-compassion, and untangle internal conflict. I am currently Level 2 trained in Deep Brain Reorienting(DBT), which helps to gently access and process trauma and related shock held deeply at the brain stem level. I am also trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy(DBT) and incorporate mindfulness, distress tolerance and emotion regulation skills to enhance nervous system regulation.
I’m deeply committed to continuing education and regular consultation with colleagues — because being a good therapist isn’t a destination, it’s an ongoing practice.
I’m also a parent who gets it.
I'm a mother to an autistic child who also has ADHD and anxiety, and this part of my life has shaped me just as deeply as my professional training. I understand the daily stress, the deep exhaustion, the worry, and the quiet grief that can accompany raising a neurodivergent child — because I’m walking that path too.
It can be incredibly isolating. And I feel honored to support other parents so they don’t have to carry it alone.
When I’m not in session
When I’m not working, I’m usually spending time with my husband, son, and our dog. I love hiking and long walks, meditating, and savoring a cup of coffee or tea. You might find me listening to an interesting podcast or getting lost in a good thriller. I’m a dark chocolate enthusiast at heart and deeply appreciate sunsets, meaningful conversation, and being outside in nature.
And while I love spending time with family and friends, I’m a true introvert — so I equally cherish my alone time. No shame in that.
The beliefs at the heart of my work.
We are all doing the best we can given our life circumstances.
We are not what happened to us. What happened to us shapes how we see ourselves and the world — but underneath lies our true self, waiting to be discovered.
We all have within us the innate capacity to heal, no matter how deep the wound.
Loving and accepting ourselves — scars and all — is one of the most courageous and freeing things we can do.
People underestimate their ability to change. Even when it feels like all hope is lost, our brain and body are wired to heal. It is possible to enjoy life again.
Healing that goes deeper than talk therapy
I use evidence-based, neuroscience-informed approaches — including EMDR, IFS, and Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) — that work with your brain and nervous system, not just your thoughts. Because lasting change doesn't come from learning to cope better. It comes from healing what's been driving the pain all along.
If you're looking for someone to just listen and offer coping strategies, I'm probably not the right fit. But if you're ready to go deeper — I'm here for that.
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Trauma & PTSD Therapy
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Social Anxiety and Anxiety Therapy
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Parents of Autistic & Neurodivergent Children
Serving Clients in Glendale, Phoenix, and Peoria AZ. Online Therapy For Arizona and Minnesota Residents.
Let’s start with a conversation.
Maybe you’re not even sure therapy is the right step. Maybe you’ve been sitting on this for a while. That’s okay. Starting is the hardest part, and you’re already here.
Complete this form to schedule a free 15-minute consultation. No commitment — just a conversation to see if we’re the right fit.
