Ellen Walker, LICSW

Ellen Walker is a licensed clinical social worker who focuses on helping people facing trauma, family stress, and life transitions. She brings a calm, hopeful presence and practical support to sessions. Ellen aims to create a respectful partnership so clients feel heard and understood.

With about 30 years of experience in mental health and child welfare, Ellen has worked with a wide range of concerns including grief, depression, anxiety, addiction, relationship difficulties, and parenting challenges. She draws on several approaches to match each person’s needs. Sessions often start with getting to know one another and identifying clear goals to guide the work.

Ellen describes her style as open-minded and collaborative. She uses Client-Centered ideas to follow what matters most to the client and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to notice patterns of thinking and behavior that keep problems active. She also incorporates Motivational Interviewing and Solution-Focused techniques to build motivation and practical steps forward.

Typical meetings are once weekly for 45 minutes. Ellen prefers beginning with video so people can connect face-to-face, and also offers phone and text contact when that suits a client better. She checks messages on weekdays and aims to be flexible with scheduling, including morning and weekend times.

People often come for help with family conflict, parenting strain, trauma and abuse, compassion fatigue, and coping with major life changes. Ellen invites prospective clients to consider what feels most important and to take the next step when ready.

How Ellen Uses Therapy Approaches Online

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and following what matters to the client, helping people feel understood and guiding decisions at their own pace. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at patterns of thought and behavior and offers practical exercises to change unhelpful habits; it can help with anxiety, depression, and stress. Motivational Interviewing helps people find their own reasons to change and build motivation for steps like reducing substance use or improving self-care.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Ellen collaborates with each person to decide which methods fit their needs and goals. She combines listening and practical strategies so the plan grows out of the client’s priorities and what feels manageable.

The biography notes she often begins with video sessions and is also available by phone and text, but confirm current session options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins by phone when needed, and remove travel time so work or caregiving responsibilities are easier to manage. Licensed professionals can adapt exercises, homework, and goal-setting to work well in remote formats, and Ellen aims to match the approach to the client’s life and preferences.