Ellen Silbert

Ellen Silbert, LICSW, helps people manage stress, anxiety, grief, addictions, and relationship and parenting concerns. She brings four decades of clinical work to each conversation. Ellen aims to make talking about hard things feel less overwhelming and more practical. She creates a calm, open setting where people can begin to sort out what matters most to them.

Ellen earned a Master of Arts in Clinical Social Work from New York University in 1984 and holds a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker credential. Her career includes work across many settings, from labor and delivery to hospice care, giving her a wide view of life’s stages and medical stresses. That range informs how she listens and responds to individual needs.

Her approach is down-to-earth and collaborative. She uses Client-Centered methods to follow each person’s lead and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going. She also draws on Emotionally-Focused Therapy and mindfulness ideas to help people connect with feelings and build better patterns in relationships.

Ellen often helps people facing grief, chronic illness or disability, caregiver strain, adoption and foster care issues, body image and eating concerns, and challenges tied to aging. She also supports those coping with trauma, addiction, ADHD, depression, bipolar mood concerns, and compassion fatigue.

Sessions aim to be practical and paced to the person. Ellen emphasizes clear goals, steady progress, and tools people can use between meetings. She welcomes questions about how therapy might fit into daily life and what to expect in early sessions.

How therapeutic approaches guide online care

Client-Centered Therapy centers the person’s experience and priorities. It means the therapist follows the client’s lead and helps them name what feels most important. This approach can be useful for people who want a supportive space to sort feelings and choices.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on the links between thoughts, feelings, and actions. It provides simple exercises to change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns, which can help with anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and certain habits.

Emotionally-Focused Therapy helps people notice and work with core emotions and the patterns they create in relationships. It can be helpful when relationship strain or attachment issues make everyday life harder.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about their needs, goals, and preferences and together decide which methods to try. This is a collaborative process and can change as progress is made.

For practical matters, confirm current session options before booking since formats are not specified here. Online care can make it easier to fit therapy around work, caregiving, and medical appointments. It also allows shorter check-ins, phone conversations when video would be difficult, and flexibility for people who travel or have limited mobility. Ask about scheduling and session length when you reach out so sessions can match everyday life.