IFSTherapists

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LICSW

Ellen Silbert, LICSW

  • Experience40 years
  • LocationMassachusetts
  • Focus areasStress and Anxiety, Family, and Grief
  • Therapy approachesInternal Family Systems and Client-Centered Therapy
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About Ellen

Ellen Silbert is a licensed clinical social worker (LICSW) practicing in Massachusetts with four decades of experience supporting people through stress, anxiety, grief, relationship struggles, trauma and abuse, and a wide range of life transitions.

Background and approach

She works with clients on issues such as addictions, parenting challenges, eating and sleeping problems, anger, self-esteem, depression and bipolar mood concerns, and career-related stress. Her practice also addresses specialized areas like adoption and foster care, attachment and blended-family dynamics, caregiver strain, chronic illness and pain, and domestic violence recovery.

Ellen draws on a client-centered stance that emphasizes warmth, nonjudgmental support, and collaborative problem solving. She integrates evidence-informed methods including Internal Family Systems, cognitive behavioral techniques, mindfulness practices, emotionally focused strategies, and solution-focused, motivational approaches to tailor care to each person’s needs.

A graduate of New York University with a master’s in clinical social work, she has clinical experience across settings from labor and delivery to hospice care. She offers messaging, live chat, phone sessions, and video-based appointments, and invites prospective clients to reach out to explore fit and availability.

Integrative Approaches for Online Healing

Internal Family Systems (IFS) views the mind as composed of distinct inner parts and a core Self; therapy helps people understand and unburden protective or wounded parts so they can relate to themselves with greater compassion and clarity. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and shifting unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, which can be useful for anxiety, depression, and coping with life changes. Client-Centered Therapy places the person’s experience at the center of care, emphasizing empathy, acceptance, and collaborative pacing to build trust and self-awareness.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and the therapist works collaboratively with clients to determine which combination of methods best fits their needs, goals, and preferences. That means techniques may be blended and adjusted over time so treatment aligns with what the client finds most helpful.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, offering flexibility for those balancing work, caregiving, or busy schedules. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of care, try different session lengths, or check in between appointments, while allowing licensed professionals to use the same interventions they would in person.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does this therapist commonly address?
Areas of focus include stress and anxiety, grief, trauma and abuse, relationship and intimacy issues, addictions, parenting and family conflicts, mood disorders such as depression and bipolar, as well as eating, sleeping, and self-esteem difficulties.
What is the general therapeutic style and approach?
The approach is client-centered and collaborative, combining empathy with practical interventions. Techniques draw from Internal Family Systems, cognitive behavioral strategies, mindfulness, emotionally focused methods, and solution-focused tools to meet differing needs.
How much professional experience informs this practice?
The clinician brings 40 years of clinical experience across diverse settings, including work with new parents and hospice populations, which informs a broad and flexible skill set.
What are the therapist's credentials and where are they located?
The therapist holds a MA and is licensed as an LICSW in Massachusetts, license number MA LICSW 117806.
Are sessions available in other languages or to international clients?
Therapy is provided in English only, and this clinician is not currently accepting international clients.
Which session formats are offered for remote work?
Clients can work via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on availability and preference.
How is pricing and payment structured?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin therapy?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to therapist availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyFamily conflictsGriefParenting issuesCoping with life changes

Also works with

AddictionsLGBTRelationship issuesTrauma and abuseIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderDepressionCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

Adoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesBlended family issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCodependencyCommunication problemsControl issuesDependent personalityDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEating and food-related issuesFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFertility issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGender dysphoriaGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingInfidelityIntellectual disabilityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMulticultural concernsObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-loveSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingSolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

40+ years

Licensed

Massachusetts

Languages

English