Anxiety & OCD Treatment: Amanda Petrik-Gardner, LCPC

Anxiety & OCD Treatment: Amanda Petrik-Gardner, LCPC Welcome to Amanda Petrik-Gardner, LCPC, specializing in anxiety, OCD and BFRBs.

My name is Amanda Petrik-Gardner, I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (Kansas, Maine), a Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner (NE), a Licensed Professional Counselor (Colorado, Michigan, Missouri), and approved out-of-state Telehealth provider for Florida. I specialize in the treatment of OCD, Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors and anxiety disorders.

Anxiety sensitivity creates a sneaky cycle. You experience a normal sensation, like a heartbeat, interpret it as danger...
11/20/2025

Anxiety sensitivity creates a sneaky cycle. You experience a normal sensation, like a heartbeat, interpret it as dangerous/harmful, heightened anxiety can then increase the sensation and we may respond with avoidance and safety behaviors.

Anxiety sensitivity is not a diagnosis, rather an underlying factor in many common diagnoses, like panic disorder, trauma, health anxiety, social anxiety, and more.

It must be identified in order to be properly treated, as anxiety sensitivity can sustain these diagnoses.

Check out my profile for my upcoming webinar on Anxiety Sensitivity!

My next I-CBT consultation/training group is scheduled! I have been thoroughly enjoying my first group this fall and loo...
11/19/2025

My next I-CBT consultation/training group is scheduled! I have been thoroughly enjoying my first group this fall and look forward to doing it again.
If you are a therapist, interested, and the dates/times work for you, email me at info@amandalcpc.com

🎈 I am super excited that I will be sharing more knowledge about Inference-Based CBT (an evidence based treatment for OC...
11/19/2025

🎈 I am super excited that I will be sharing more knowledge about Inference-Based CBT (an evidence based treatment for OCD) at the annual Anxiety and Depression conference this year! Not 1, but 2 presentations to continue disseminating education about this treatment 🎈

🧠 With that said, take a glimpse inside my OCD brain and what has helped me from an I-CBT perspective.

🧠 What is OCD like for you? What has helped you?! Good news is that there are several treatment options; no treatment works for everyone and that is why we are thankful there are more approaches that are effective. Check out ADAA and IOCDF for more information on OCD and treatment guidelines.

I have been selected to present at the Anxiety and Depression Annual Conference for the second year, in Chicago with som...
11/19/2025

I have been selected to present at the Anxiety and Depression Annual Conference for the second year, in Chicago with some amazing colleagues!

‘A Comprehensive Demonstration of Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT) for OCD: A Step-By-Step Walkthrough of the 12-Module Protocol’ with Angela Jones Henry and Stephanie Woodrow.

And ‘The One about I-CBT’ with Mike Heady and Angela Jones Henry!

Skin picking disorder is so much more than a “bad habit” — it’s a real mental health condition that affects many people....
11/17/2025

Skin picking disorder is so much more than a “bad habit” — it’s a real mental health condition that affects many people. Resulting in bleeding, scarring or infections.

Many who struggle feel shame, hide their skin, and avoid life. Picking can be automatic or focused or both. It can feel soothing and a way to manage overwhelming tension, which makes it incredibly hard to stop without support. It can also occur when relaxed or bored!

The good news is that effective treatments exist. If you or someone you love deals with this, you are absolutely not alone.

Join us at this presentation, welcome to all (clients, family and providers), to learn about anxiety sensitivity! What i...
11/17/2025

Join us at this presentation, welcome to all (clients, family and providers), to learn about anxiety sensitivity! What is anxiety sensitivity? Well it is anxiety about anxiety. Or more specifically, when we fear the physical and psychological responses of anxiety. (Think of when someone fears a racing heart from anxiety because they believe it will cause a heart attack). Anxiety sensitivity is an underlying factor often seen in panic, health anxiety, trauma, and other diagnoses which must be assessed for in order to be properly treated. If missed, the disorder will be maintained.
Register here! This is not a CE event.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/anxiety-sensitivity-tickets-1693583266139?aff=oddtdtcreatorrot

🧠 I recently provided a presentation on Metacognitive Therapy for anxiety/depression to our local hospital/agencies to 1...
11/13/2025

🧠 I recently provided a presentation on Metacognitive Therapy for anxiety/depression to our local hospital/agencies to 100+ therapists. MCT emphasizes HOW we think over WHAT we think. The thought itself isn’t the problem…it’s our beliefs about what we need to do with the thoughts.

🧠 Here I am providing some examples about ‘worry’ but these same metacognitive beliefs can be applied to rumination or thought suppression or avoidance or threat monitoring. Do you find worry helpful? Do you think it keeps you safe? Does it help you plan? Or do you find it uncontrollable? Do you think it’s harmful? Or a combo of both?

🧠 MCT addresses these beliefs which drive how we think (worry, rumination, thought suppression, etc) instead of targeting the surface level thoughts themselves.

🧠 What questions do you have about MCT and I’ll discuss it more in the future!

In my theories textbook/reading for class this week, I came across this excerpt.This story demonstrated the idea of mind...
10/28/2025

In my theories textbook/reading for class this week, I came across this excerpt.

This story demonstrated the idea of mindfulness and I wanted to pass it on for those it might help.

Just because you have a thought, doesn’t mean you have to ‘pick’ it up. 🪨

Reminder of this upcoming event hosted by OCD Kansas (state affiliate of the International OCD Foundation):Our annual co...
10/27/2025

Reminder of this upcoming event hosted by OCD Kansas (state affiliate of the International OCD Foundation):

Our annual conference! Held online for all to attend. Perfect for clients and loved ones to better understand OCD, get their questions answered and build their community. Great for providers to improve their knowledge on this misunderstood disorder.

Register here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/3rd-annual-ocd-kansas-conference-2025-virtual-event-tickets-1508277301009?aff=oddtdtcreator

Address

Topeka, KS
66614

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4pm
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 4pm

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