Ellie Mental Health - Bethesda

08/11/2025

Struggling to set boundaries without feeling like the bad guy?

This podcast episode is for anyone who's ever struggled to say no, felt drained by unclear expectations, or wondered how to protect their peace without burning bridges.

Therapists Miranda Barker, LICSW, Letisha Harris, MA and Madison Wozniak, LCSW have an honest, practical conversation inspired by the book "Set Boundaries, Find Peace" by Nedra Glover Tawwab.

We explore:
🔹 What healthy boundaries actually look like in real life
🔹 How trauma and guilt can make boundary-setting harder
🔹 The difference between time, material, emotional, and internal boundaries
🔹 How we've grown (and stumbled) through boundary work ourselves

Whether you’re a therapist, a client, or just someone navigating the messiness of relationships, this episode offers tools and takeaways you can use right away. Here's the link to the episode on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/07cgH1wdmbfORDCfHiT0Bp?si=73TM0KZzQlSqSCGyreN-lg

Let us know what you think of this episode in the comments! ⬇

08/08/2025

Big emotions in little bodies can feel overwhelming-- for them and for us. Here’s how to respond without losing your cool. 💥➡️💞

08/08/2025

🌊 River Cleanup Success! 🌿

This past weekend, our team came together to give back to the environment with a local river clean-up — and what a rewarding day it was! 🧤🗑️

We removed bags full of trash, cleared debris from the riverbanks, and made a real difference in preserving our beautiful ecosystem. It was a great reminder that even small actions can lead to big change.

💚 Huge thanks to everyone who showed up, rolled up their sleeves, and made it happen! Let’s keep the momentum going — for a cleaner, healthier planet.

07/30/2025

Today, on , we hold space for the losses that changed us— the ones we speak of often and the ones we carry quietly.

Whether your grief is fresh or decades old, visible or invisible, your pain is real. We're thinking of you today.

Here are some tips and book recommendations from one of our therapists for helping kids navigate grief and loss.

07/28/2025

Ever zoned out during a meeting, driven somewhere and not remembered how you got there, or felt totally disconnected in a stressful moment?

These aren’t just quirks.... they can be signs of dissociation, a powerful and often misunderstood coping mechanism.

In therapy spaces, we talk about dissociation often. But outside of them, people may not recognize it or know what to do when it shows up. For folks with trauma histories, dissociation isn’t just occasional spacing out—it’s the nervous system protecting itself when things feel too overwhelming to process.

➡️ In this new blog post, Ellie therapist Miranda Barker, LICSW, breaks down:
- What dissociation actually is (and isn’t)
- Why the body uses it as a survival response
- How trauma-informed approaches like EMDR, parts work, and somatic therapy can help
- Practical grounding strategies that reconnect people to the present

Whether you're a clinician, a mental health advocate, or someone who’s felt disconnected and didn’t have a word for it—this is worth the read.

🔗 Check it out here: https://elliementalhealth.com/feeling-disconnected-a-therapists-guide-to-understanding-dissociation/

🎧 Bonus: Watch this related podcast episode featuring trauma therapist Amy Wilkerson, LICSW, for more insights. https://youtu.be/2Cxr5KB8Atg?si=p-mTzj5ZgGmwveOx

Explore how dissociation serves as a trauma coping mechanism and discover therapeutic approaches for healing.

07/25/2025

Ever heard of DBT?

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a powerful, evidence-based approach that helps people manage intense emotions, improve relationships, and build a life worth living.

Originally developed for borderline personality disorder, DBT is now used to support anyone struggling with:
💥 Big emotional swings
🧠 Anxiety or depression
🗣️ Conflict in relationships
🧍‍♀️ Feeling stuck in unhelpful patterns

DBT teaches skills in 4 key areas:
Mindfulness
Emotion Regulation
Distress Tolerance
Interpersonal Effectiveness

It’s not just about coping, it’s about thriving with tools that actually work.

07/22/2025

Understanding your health insurance doesn’t have to be scary, in fact, the more you know, the more you can avoid surprise bills. In this video, we break down key terms like premiums, deductibles, copays, and coinsurance, and explain how benefit checks really work behind the scenes. 🧾✨

07/18/2025

If your heart races every time you see a “Can we talk?” subject line, you’re not alone (also, if you're a boss, please stop doing that).

Therapy can help you learn how to calm your nervous system, set boundaries, and stop spiraling every time you hear that notification ding.

06/30/2025

🌿 Help us give a warm welcome to Anda, our newest therapist at Ellie Mental Health! 🌿

Anda is a Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor with a Master’s in Counseling from Johns Hopkins University. She’s passionate about creating a therapeutic space that is warm, accepting, and safe for every client she serves.

She brings valuable experience working with children, adolescents, young adults, and families navigating challenges like anxiety, depression, autism, trauma, grief, and more. Anda also partners with parents and guardians through family therapy and psychoeducation to support lasting growth and healing.

Her approach is integrative and flexible, drawing from techniques like CBT, Play Therapy, Mindfulness, and Solution-Focused Therapy—always tailored to meet each person where they are.

When she’s not in session, Anda enjoys spending time with her cat 🐾, exploring new recipes 🍽️, and making memories with loved ones 💛

Welcome to the Ellie family, Anda! We’re so glad you’re here 💚

Ellie provides mental health services for all ages. Offering individual therapy, couples counseling,

05/16/2025

Our Bethesda team (with a few NP friends!) had a blast at Thursday’s team meeting with Julia!
Dr. Julia Knach is incredibly knowledgeable in sand tray and play therapy. She gave a fantastic presentation and opened the floor for questions—such a great opportunity to build skills and broaden our understanding of different therapeutic modalities. We’re so grateful for her time and insight! 💛🧠✨

05/06/2025

About to graduate and feeling unsure about what’s next? 🎓

You’re not alone. The post-college transition can be full of pressure, uncertainty, and a whole lot of big feelings.

➡ Swipe through to see some of our tips, or read the full blog by Ellie therapist, Hannah Gundlach, LMHCA, here: https://elliementalhealth.com/ellie-blog/

05/05/2025

Our Bethesda and North Potomac teams showed OUT at the NAMI Walk in Gaithersburg this weekend for Mental Health Awareness Month! 💚 It’s incredibly rewarding as therapists to come together with other organizations in support of such an important cause. Huge thanks to everyone who donated to our page!