Online (Florida)/$200 per session/Autistic Teens and Adults

ellie@autismspectrumcounseling.com

813-578-8333

My Story

I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and I specialize in working with Autistic teens (ages 14 and up) and adults.

My career path was inspired by my Autistic brother.  I saw him navigating the demands of adolescence and early adulthood, and I learned that key systems in our culture, such as those of education, work, and even socialization, are not specifically aligned with the needs and dreams of people like my brother. I have also dealt with my own social anxiety throughout my life, and this helps me empathize and personally relate to some of the social differences Autistics experience.

My life and work to date (see below!) have taught me that when a person can better understand who they are and what they need to be well, they find themselves being able to navigate the hard stuff with greater clarity, ease and joy.

My Education and Work Experience

I completed my Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the Radford University and have participated in the following trainings:

Dialectical Behavior Therapy:

• Dialectical-Behavioral Therapy with New River Valley Community Services: Child and Family Services

Play Therapy and Sand Tray Training:

• Play Therapy and Sand Tray Training with Barbara Defazzio, LMHC

Trauma Focused Training:                                                                                                               

• Trauma Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy with The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
• Ten Core Competencies- Trauma, PTSD, And Grief and Loss with Eric Gentry, LMHC
• Building Relationships Across The Lifespan Training with New River Valley Community Services: Child and Family Services
• Normal Attachment and Attachment Disorders with New River Valley Community Services: Child and Family Services
• Crisis Intervention Certification with Women’s Resource Center
• Crowell Structured Behavioral Observation Training with Safe Children Coalition

Adoption:

• Certified Adoption Competent Counselor, Safe Children Coalition, Sarasota

Prior to private practice, I worked in many roles all centering around counseling neurodivergent children, adolescents, and young adults.

• Mental Health Counselor at Focus Academy: I provided individual counseling and led drama and art therapy groups for neurodivergent adolescents and young adults, aged 11-21. My work focused on cultivating a supportive non-judgmental environment in which the students could learn how to express themselves authentically, build healthy relationships, develop self-regulation and coping skills, and learn how to care for themselves.
• Mental Health Counselor at Circle of Friends Services: I provided mental health counseling and support for children and adolescents in the foster care system with a history of complex trauma.
• Children’s Counselor at Forty Carrots Parenting Program: I co-facilitated a drama therapy and wellness group for at-risk children.^. Using art and drama,  I provided children with a safe and comfortable environment in which the children could process and share their stories, improving their emotional wellness and cultivating authentic and healthy relationships.

License

I am licensed in the state of Florida to practice mental health counseling.  My license number is MH19629.