Ellen Stephenson, LMFT

About

Ellen was born in Syracuse, New York and relocated to Florida with her parents as an only child. She became interested in therapy as a career during an elective psychology course in her junior year of high school. Ellen became part of a blended family in 2009, which deepened her desire to pursue a family therapy degree.

When she isn’t working, Ellen enjoys spending time with her husband, traveling, binging the latest Netflix series, and counting down the days until Halloween.

Education

Ellen graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2013 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She pursued a minor in Cognitive Sciences and a certificate in Leadership Studies. Ellen graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2015 with a Master’s degree in Marriage, Couples, and Family counseling.

Experience

After her graduation, Ellen spent 3 years working for a non profit organization to assist individuals and families dealing with persistent and pervasive mental illnesses. She became skilled in crisis management and suicide prevention. She learned techniques to assist clients with debilitating mental health diagnosis such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and borderline personality disorder.

Ellen then spent time working with families and their loved ones that were dealing with substance abuse issues. She helped to create a pilot program at a residential treatment facility in order to include family members in treatment. She provided couples and family counseling to deal with addiction, infidelity, trauma, co-parenting, and conflict resolution needs.

Treatment Methods

Ellen uses person centered, solution focused (SFT), cognitive behavioral (CBT) methods for individuals. She develops treatment plans with her clients and assists them in setting attainable goals. She uses CBT methods to isolate problems and combat erratic beliefs. She is also trained in trauma focused CBT and motivational interviewing techniques.

Ellen uses solution focused, cognitive behavioral, systems theory approaches for couples and families. She assists them in setting attainable goals for their relationship. She utilizes conflict resolution skills and SFT questions to isolate the problems. She uses systems theory techniques to link the couple against their main issues, assisting them with boundary setting and assertive communication.

She has a passion for assisting individuals, couples, and families with their relationship goals to be their authentic selves. Click here to learn how Ellen can assist you with any specific needs.