Have you tried therapy in the past but still feel stuck? Has past therapy felt aimless or confusing? Elese wants to offer you a different experience.

When Elese has asked people what didn’t work in therapy with their previous therapist, the most common answer is some version of this: “the therapist just let me talk. I never received feedback from them,” or “the therapist only asked how I felt. I wasn’t sure what our goals were.” Because Elese has experienced passive-style therapists in the past, she appreciates the need for therapeutic transparency and common goals to improve people’s quality of life. Her delivery is aligned with assertive communication: direct, gentle, and respectful. Each session’s pace is based on the client’s current needs. Since people experience life through emotional, cognitive, and somatic perceptions, Elese addresses them all.

Most of her training relates to complex trauma, emotional abuse, family systems dynamics, depression, and anxiety. Her approach is influenced by Bessel van der Kolk and Stephen Porges’ research, and interventions developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro, Gabor Maté, Peter A. Levine, Tara Brach, Richard Schwartz, and Pete Walker. She’s familiar with Patrick Teahan, Dr. Ramani, and John Bradshaw’s work on childhood trauma, toxic relationships, and narcissistic abuse; she incorporate many of these concepts into her counseling. Elese has completed multiple trainings on treatment for narcissistic abuse through Dr. Ramani. She also completed EMDR training through the EMDR Institute.