Ellen Smithey, ATR-BC, LPC, CCTP

About

Licensed Professional Counselor in Austin, TX. Works with Trauma and PTSD, Women's Issues and Anxiety. Sees clients online only. Works out of network for insurance. Accepting new clients.

Areas of expertise

• Trauma and PTSD
• Anxiety
• Bisexual
• Coping Skills
• Depression
• Family Conflict
• Grief
• Life Transitions
• Peer Relationships
• Relationship Issues
• Self Esteem
• Stress Management

Types of therapy

• Art TherapyUses drawing, painting or other art-making to express and explore feelings, with a therapist trained in art therapy. No artistic skill is needed.
• Attachment-basedLooks at early bonds with caregivers and how they shape relationships and emotions now, and works toward a greater sense of safety and connection.
• Culturally SensitiveTakes a person's culture, identity, background and values into account, and shapes the work so it fits their life.
• Dialectical Behavior (DBT)A skills-based therapy grown out of CBT. Teaches ways to manage intense emotions, get through crises, stay present and handle relationships.
• EMDREye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. A structured trauma therapy in which a person recalls distressing memories while following side-to-side eye movements or taps.
• ExistentialExplores life's big questions, such as meaning, freedom, choice, loneliness and death, and how they connect to a person's struggles.
• Expressive ArtsUses several creative forms, such as art, music, movement, writing or drama, to explore feelings and experiences.
• FeministConsiders how gender, power and social context affect a person's life and well-being, and aims for an equal relationship between client and therapist.
• GestaltFocuses on the here and now, and on noticing what a person is feeling and doing in the moment, often through experiments such as role-play.
• IntegrativeCombines more than one therapy approach, fitted to the person's needs.
• Internal Family Systems (IFS)Sees the mind as made of different 'parts', and helps people understand and care for them from a calm, compassionate core 'Self'.
• JungianBased on Carl Jung's ideas. Explores dreams, symbols and the unconscious to help a person become more whole.
• MulticulturalRecognizes how culture, race, ethnicity and other identities shape experience, and makes them part of the work.
• NarrativeHelps people separate themselves from their problems and retell the stories they hold about their lives in ways that feel truer and more helpful.
• Person-CenteredA warm, non-directive approach: the therapist listens with empathy and without judgment, and trusts the person to find their own direction.
• Play TherapyUses play, toys and games to help children express feelings and work through problems in a way that suits their age.
• Positive PsychologyFocuses on well-being, strengths, gratitude and what makes life fulfilling, alongside working through difficulties.
• RelationalSees relationships as central to well-being. The relationship with the therapist is used to understand and change patterns in other relationships.
• SandplayThe person builds scenes in a tray of sand with small figures, as a way to express what is hard to put into words. Used with children and adults.
• SomaticBody-focused therapy that pays attention to physical sensations, posture and breathing, on the view that stress and trauma are held in the body as well as the mind.
• Trauma FocusedTherapy for people affected by trauma. Puts safety and pacing first, and helps process painful memories so they have less hold on daily life.

More details

Sessions

Online only

Accepting new clients

Yes

Specialties

Trauma and PTSD, Women's Issues, Anxiety, ADHD, Bisexual, Body Image, Codependency, Coping Skills, Depression, Eating Disorders, Family Conflict, Grief, Infertility, LGBTQ+, Life Transitions, Marital and Premarital, Peer Relationships, Polyamory & ENM, Pregnancy, Prenatal, Postpartum, Relationship Issues, Self Esteem, Sexual Abuse, Spirituality, Stress

Insurance

Out of Network

Fees

Individual sessions $200, couple sessions $300; sliding scale available

Payment methods

Discover, Mastercard, Venmo, Visa

Ages

Teen, Adults

Works with

Individuals

Communities

Bisexual Allied, Gay Allied, Lesbian Allied, Transgender Allied

Languages

English

Gender

Female

Education

George Washington University

Years in practice

9

Other offices

Austin, 78746

Education & qualifications