Amy Van Buren, Ph.D.
Virtual therapy available across Connecticut.
“Life does not come with a user's manual for how to work with the hard stuff. And yet these very difficulties, these roadblocks at which we find ourselves, are often opportunities in disguise.”
- Amy Van Buren, Ph.D.
◆ My perfect day includes cycling or hiking around the White Mountains in NH.
◆ I share my home with three parrots.
◆ I’m a 500-hour Viniyoga teacher; I believe the body often knows the way before the mind does.
◆ I love a good story (and a well-written life script).
◆ I’m married to an attorney and have an adult son who is a jazz musician.
◆ My thinking is influenced by old-school Stoic philosophy — ancient wisdom for modern overthinkers.
◆ I believe that for deep change, the nervous system has to be onboard.
◆ I spent 15 years as a tenured professor in academia before deciding my real passion was 1-on-1 human change.
◆ I believe in tapping into the synergy of ancient knowledge and modern science to help people harness the power of their minds.
◆ I see us as fellow travelers on the journey. I’ll never treat you like "damaged goods."
Here’s what I want you to know from the start: You’re not supposed to have life perfectly sorted out, and there is nothing wrong with feeling overwhelmed, confused, or stuck in your own mind.
Most of us were handed an old script we never agreed to, and therapy gives you a space to set that script down and shape something that fits who you are now.
My work blends 30 years of clinical experience with the grounding wisdom of yoga, body-based tools, and a deep respect for the nervous system.
A session with me looks like an intentionally led conversation where we reveal the patterns keeping you stuck and work to create real movement in your life.
Instead of circling your past endlessly, we focus on calming your nervous system and rewriting the outdated scripts that no longer serve you.
My goal is to help you build enough clarity and momentum that you eventually don’t need me to guide you; you'll have a better sense of how to move forward in life. And even more important, you'll have a better tolerance for the uncertainty that comes with just being alive.
Clients often tell me they feel deeply understood here, and to me, that is the heart of this work.