About Ellen (she/her)
Forever fascinated by people and their stories, I knew as early as high school that becoming a therapist was what I wanted to do, professionally. I am invigorated by this work and over the last decade have had the privilege of working with hundreds of clients. I've lived in Santa Cruz for 18 years, including during my undergraduate studies at UC Santa Cruz, and soon afterwards, receiving a degree in clinical counseling psychology from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology (now Sofia University).
For many years I have been actively engaged in our local community, socially and politically. I have been involved and volunteered with various organizations such as a suicide crisis hotline, organizations supporting immigrant communities, environmental and racial justice, and the LGBTQIA+ community (of which I am an "out" member). I worked for several years with an organization that supports survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. I enjoy being in various leadership roles within our local community of therapists, and have served as Secretary of the Board of Directors for the Santa Cruz Chapter of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) since 2016.
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Outside of my counseling work, I actively train in various martial arts and have practiced insight meditation for over a decade–both of which influence my psychotherapy practice. I studied acupressure and enjoyed learning about medicinal herbs through a certification with the Holistic Health program at UC Santa Cruz, which led me to become interested in somatic forms of psychotherapy. I am passionate about workers' rights, economic equality, housing for all, and believe that everyone is worthy of dignity and respect. I have two kitties named Frida Kahlo and Pinky.