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.

Licensure:

- State of Ohio Licensed Independent Social Worker with Supervisory designation since 1997

- State of Ohio Certified School Social Worker since 1997  

- New York Social Work License since 2021

- Illinois Social Work License since 2021

- NASW member since 1997

Since 1997, I have worked on multi-disciplinary teams in schools, community mental health and social service agencies, an intensive treatment center with multiple levels of care, and now in private 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.  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.  

Work History:

- Treatment Foster Care Manager - Beech Brook - 1997

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

- Intake Worker - Bellefaire JCB - 2000-2001

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

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

- Private psychotherapy practice - Amy L. Luzar, LLC - Owner - 2017 to present

- CWRU - Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences 

  Field Instructor - July 2022 to present

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

- Co-facilitator of the Ongoing Personal Growth Group - GIC - 2001 to 2022

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

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)

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