My Background

I grew up in Shaker Heights and graduated from Shaker Heights High School in 1988. I received my bachelor's degree from The University of Wisconsin - Madison in 1993 and went on to receive a master's degree from The Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University in 1997, with concentrations in Children, Youth, and Families and School Social Work.

On a personal note, I am married with 3 children and enjoy being active outside.

Licensure and Certification:

• Certified Gestalt Psychotherapist by The Gestalt Institute of Cleveland's CATCO Training Faculty 
• State of Ohio Licensed Independent Social Worker with Supervisory designation 
• State of Ohio Certified School Social Worker 
• New York Social Work License 
• Illinois Social Work License 

Membership:

• National Association of Social Workers Member
• Cleveland Academy of Collaborative Professionals (CACP) Member

Mediation and Collaborative Practice Training:

Fundamentals of Mediation - August 2024 - Ohio Supreme Court (15.25 hours)

Specialized Family and Divorce Mediation - September 2024 - Ohio Supreme Court (28.25 hours)

Interdisciplinary Collaborative Practice Training - February/March 2025 - CPTI - (15 hours)

In my psychotherapy practice I draw from:

Gestalt Therapy - I have extensive training in Gestalt Therapy. As a Gestalt therapist I consider the whole individual, couple or system, and am concerned with the obstacles to optimal functioning in the here and now. Gestalt therapy is dialogic, experiential, phenomenological, existential and at its core relational. A caring and trusting therapeutic relationship is the foundation of doing meaningful work in therapy. This has the potential to extend into your life, your relationships and will support personal growth.

Evidence-Based Treatment - I also have years of work experience and training in evidence-based treatment models including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), CBT for Eating Disorders (CBT-E), Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Maudsley Family-Based Treatment for Eating Disorders (FBT), and SPACE - Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions.  

Clinical Training:

Couple and Family Therapy Training  Program - GIC - 2000 

Certificate in Cognitive Behavior Therapy - Cleveland Center for Cognitive Therapy - 2009-2010

Gestalt Faculty Development Program in Group Facilitation - GIC - 2012

Clinician's Advanced Training Program with Certification Option (CATCO) - GIC - 2017

Certified Gestalt Psychotherapist by GIC's CATCO Training Faculty - 2017

NASW Certified Anti-Oppression Informed Practitioner Training - 2018

Working with Physical Process Training Program - GIC - 2019

Gestalt Development Program - GIC - completed January 2022

Work History:

Owner private psychotherapy practice - Amy L. Luzar, LLC - 2015 to present

Field Instructor - CWRU Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences -    2022-2024

Visiting Faculty - The Gestalt Institute of Cleveland (GIC) - 2001-2022

Co-Facilitator of the Ongoing Personal Growth Group - GIC - 2001-2022

Individual/Family Therapist - Cleveland Center for Eating Disorders/The Emily Program - 2007-2017

Child and Family Therapist - Neighborhood Family Practice - 2001-2007

Intake Worker - Bellefaire JCB - 2000-2001

School Social Worker - Cleveland Hts. - University Hts. Schools - 1998-2000

Treatment Foster Care Manager - Beech Brook - 1997-1998