ellen mail, msw, licsw, pmh-c (she/her)

training & professional experience

I was trained in clinical social work at Boston University School of Social Work (MSW, 2018) and am licensed to practice clinical social work independently in Massachusetts and Indiana. In 2022, I completed a post-graduate certificate course in End of Life and Palliative Care from Smith College School for Social Work. I have also completed several advanced trainings in perinatal mental health through Postpartum Support International.

My professional experiences span a variety of settings and populations, including outpatient oncology, inpatient medicine, pediatric palliative care, perinatal and postpartum mental health, and private psychotherapy practice.

theoretical orientation

I practice from a person-centered, integrative therapy orientation to tend to each client’s unique needs and challenges. I also weave self-compassion, mindfulness, and somatic techniques into my clinical work. Humor is sometimes employed — and always welcome — in session, too.

therapeutic approach

I believe that clients are the experts on their own experiences; my role is to create a calm, safe, therapeutic environment in which clients feel seen and supported as they share their stories, ask questions, identify challenges, and explore hopes.

My therapeutic approach focuses on developing the relationship between client and clinician because the therapeutic relationship is well-established as the most effective component of therapy. Empathy, respect, compassion, collaboration, and at times humor comprise the foundation of my practice style. I pay close attention to my clients’ needs and wishes — and how they shift over time — via intentional listening, reflection and collaborative discovery to facilitate self-discovery, healing, and change.

Being fully present with someone as they begin to put words to experiences that have felt confusing, isolating, or unspoken is sacred work. I became a therapist because I'm moved by what can happen when clients have space to be seen and heard. This work allows me the privilege of bearing witness to the shifts that happen over time for my clients as they feel more connected to themselves, as their self-compassion deepens, and as they demonstrate the ability to navigate shape-shifting landscapes such as grief or new parenthood with greater ease.