Amy Braman, LCSW

Background
Amy, an owner at Balanced LLC, has been a clinical social worker in the mental health field for more than 20 years. She completed a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Sociology at Eureka College and a Master of Social Work at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana with a specialization in child welfare. Amy has gained expertise in early childhood intervention, adoption and foster care, in-patient hospitalization, loss and grief, trauma, family systems, LGBTQ+ mental health, depression, and anxiety disorders. She has experience in working with individuals and families of all ages.

Approach to Therapy
Amy started Balanced, LLC, with her business partner, Jennifer Boehs, in 2010. Before Balanced, LLC, she provided individual and family therapy in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. She has been trained in attachment and family systems therapy. Within family systems, Amy provides techniques to assist with parenting, communication skills, setting expectation, and improving relationships. Additionally, she has worked with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and mood disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder.

As a former crisis, pre-hospitalization assessor, Amy has extensive experience with suicidal ideation, self-harming behaviors, and anger management therapy.  She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) as primary, evidence-based treatment modalities. 

Amy trained with the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) in 2018 and became a certified WPATH provider in 2024. In addition to being an ally of the LGBTQ+ community, Amy has provided professional trainings to medical providers and school districts in Central Illinois. She helped begin PFLAG Peoria in 2018 and runs a support group for parents and caretakers of transgender and gender diverse children and teens called Transparenting. Amy has received extensive training on LGBTQ+ mental health issues and often works with parents and families who are navigating through their journey of acceptance and overall happiness.

About Amy
Amy is a mother of two girls and has been happily married for over 20 years.  She was raised in a small community in Central Illinois with her four siblings.  Amy enjoys spending time with her family but can often be found camping or hiking on the weekends. She enjoys reading and family movie nights. She had dreams of working with children and families as a child. As a clinical social worker, Amy finds joy in seeing people make progress on their individual goals and find happiness in life.