LCSW, 13 years of experience
Hi, I'm Elena. I've been a therapist for 13 years, and a person navigating the world for much longer. Of course, in this context, the therapist part is the important part, but I want you to know that I am an empathetic and compassionate person first and foremost, which greatly influences my style of therapy. The things that made me an sensitive kid now make me a patient, dedicated therapist, with the important addition of boundaries and balance. I greatly enjoy the process of building a sturdy relationship with each client so they can be seen, heard, and supported. I take this role very seriously and put great care into showing up for my clients with kindness, trustworthiness, and solidarity. I have a background in clinical social work. From the time I began studying social work, its philosophy resonated deeply with me: it is client-centered and strengths-based with an emphasis on dignity for all, regardless of background or identity. These are challenging times to be someone who cares about people, but I proudly do my best to be welcoming and inclusive. These are points of pride and strength, not weakness.
A first session with me can feel like an extended getting-to-know-you conversation, with an emphasis on letting you tell your story. Whether you come in knowing exactly what you want to talk about or if you need some guiding questions from me, I will prioritize learning what you want to get out of therapy, including what goals you have and what has worked for you in the past (and what has not!). Together, we will come up with a plan to work toward the kind of positive change you want to see in your life.
The feedback I hear most often is that I am patient, a trait that has always come easily to me, and that I have a calming presence. This is useful when helping people learn how to regulate their nervous systems in times of high anxiety and stress, something you'll hear more about if you work with me. I also prioritize keeping an atmosphere of non-judgment. Everyone has a past - and therapy is no space for judgment of this. Lastly, I like to use humor in therapy when appropriate. I like to think I'm pretty funny, but you can decide that one for yourself.
I work most often with people who struggle with anxiety. This is a big category, but understanding the basics can be a big step in helping you feel better. Maybe you have general anxiety about a lot of things, or specific anxiety about one or a few things. I will work with you to understand what is happening in your brain and body so that you can learn to cope with it in healthy ways that give you some relief. People-pleasing is another niche that I specialize in. This tends to go hand in hand with anxiety, but can be an extra tricky flavor of it that some people struggle with. Maybe you have come to believe that guilt is your default mode. Maybe you frequently find yourself preoccupied by what others think of you, how others will respond to you, or how best not to disappoint others. If these sound like familiar struggles, I may be a good fit for you. We can work together to get to the bottom of where these patterns came from and how to move away from them. I also enjoy working with people in long-term recovery from substance use. I spent many years early in my career in an outpatient substance abuse setting, which gave me a strong foundation in and compassion for supporting people with addiction and substance abuse struggles. I understand how crucial a experienced, reliable therapist can be as part of a well-rounded support system to sustain a meaningful recovery lifestyle. I will celebrate your milestones and gently challenge you in times of complacency. Reach out to me if you are in the maintenance stage of recovery and think you would benefit from a knowledgeable, compassionate therapist.
I use interventions and concepts from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help you challenge unhelpful thinking patterns that may be leading to unwanted feelings and behaviors. When we can identify what lies under our unhealthy patterns that result in anxiety and other discomfort, we have an opportunity to improve how we feel.
I use a framework of supportive therapy, which draws heavily on different ideas about how we think and how we relate to other people. A lot of the work done in therapy happens within the therapist-client relationship. I work to establish an environment of empathy where you will receive support, encouragement, and validation, but also with gentle challenging when needed.
Learning mindfulness gives us a wonderfully useful coping skill that we can always have in our back pocket. The more we practice it, the easier it is and the more benefit we get from it. Whether you respond well to breathing, grounding, meditation, or other mindful practices, learning how to use these skills can be a real game-changer for anxiety and stress. This is just the tip of the iceberg; I look forward to discussing more mindfulness topics with you.