Ellen Kessel Phd
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Adult Services

As a clinical psychologist, I offer a warm, collaborative space for adults navigating personal and professional challenges. Whether you’re seeking support for managing intense emotions, depression, anxiety, stress, relationship issues, or finding a sense of purpose, I’m here to help you gain new insights and move forward with confidence

My integrative approach for adults blends:

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Insight-oriented strategies, such as psychodynamic therapy, focus on exploring unconscious patterns, early life experiences, and inner conflicts that may contribute to current emotional difficulties. By gaining a deeper understanding of oneself, individuals can develop greater self-awareness, make more meaningful life choices, and experience improved relationships and overall well-being.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a goal-oriented, evidence-based treatment approach that helps individuals identify and change unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors. CBT provides practical tools and strategies to manage symptoms, build resilience, and improve daily functioning. Exposure therapy, a type of CBT, is highly effective in treating anxiety disorders, phobias, and intrusive thoughts by gradually exposing individuals to feared situations in a safe and controlled environment.

Emotion-focused therapy (EFT) emphasizes the importance of understanding, accepting, and transforming emotional experiences. By learning to identify, express, and regulate emotions in healthy ways, individuals can develop greater self-compassion, improve relationships, and experience deep, lasting change. EFT incorporates techniques such as chair work, empathic reflection, and experiential exercises to help clients process and make sense of their emotional experiences.

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Areas of Specialization

  • Anxiety (generalized anxiety, panic attacks, phobias)
  • Mood Disorders (depression, bipolar disorder)
  • Relationship Issues
  • Life Transitions and Adjustment Difficulties
  • Stress Management
  • Self-Esteem and Personal Growth
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Emotion-focused therapy (EFT) is a therapeutic approach that emphasizes the importance of understanding, accepting, and transforming emotional experiences. By learning to identify, express, and regulate emotions in healthy ways, individuals can develop greater self-compassion, improve relationships, and experience deep, lasting change. EFT incorporates techniques such as chair work, empathic reflection, and experiential exercises to help clients process and make sense of their emotional experiences.

In therapy, teens can learn effective communication skills, practice asserting their needs, and establish healthy boundaries in their relationships. By developing these skills, teens can improve their interpersonal relationships, advocate for themselves, and foster a sense of safety and well-being.

Therapy provides a supportive space for teens to explore various aspects of their identity, express themselves authentically, and develop self-acceptance and confidence. By affirming their unique identities, teens can build a strong sense of self, which is essential for navigating the challenges of growing up and leading fulfilling lives.

In therapy, teens can explore their thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a safe, non-judgmental space. By processing these experiences with a supportive therapist, they can gain self-awareness, insight, and a clearer understanding of themselves and their relationships, laying the foundation for personal growth and positive change.

Exposure therapy is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy that helps individuals confront their fears and anxieties in a safe and controlled environment. By gradually exposing oneself to feared situations or objects, individuals learn to manage their anxiety and build resilience. Exposure therapy has been proven highly effective in treating various anxiety disorders, phobias, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a goal-oriented, short-term treatment approach that helps individuals identify and change unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to emotional distress. CBT provides practical tools and strategies to manage symptoms, build resilience, and improve daily functioning. It has been extensively researched and proven effective for treating a wide range of mental health concerns, including anxiety, depression, and stress-related issues.

I have extensive experience helping children and teens navigate the struggles of growing up, such as anxiety, low self-esteem, academic stress, and family conflicts. When working with youth with anxiety disorders, I utilize cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy tailored to their developmental stage, often incorporating parents into the treatment process.

For adolescents in particular, therapy offers a safe place to make sense of their experiences, affirm their identity, and learn to effectively communicate their needs. Drawing from the latest research, I provide a pragmatic, strengths-based approach that empowers young people with the self-awareness and skills to thrive.