Elissa Bargas has served as a licensed clinical social worker for over 10 years. She obtained her Masters of Social Work at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Social Policy and Practice in 2008. She has focused her practice on supporting people impacted by trauma. She currently supports individuals who have experienced trauma related to human rights violations. She has supported children and families impacted by complex trauma and significant mental health within a residential setting. . Elissa has also worked with women impacted by domestic violence while at a domestic violence shelter, survivors of rape, and relocated survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Her focus and clinical work has been associated with developing and implementing a trauma-informed therapeutic model to support all impacted by trauma. She holds a certificate in Training for Adoption Competency (TAC) from the Center for Adoption Support and Education. She also holds a certificate in Traumatic Stress Studies from the Trauma Research Foundation.
Additional areas of focus: Stress, Anxiety, LGBT, Family conflicts, Grief, Sleeping disorders, Parenting issues, Anger management, Career difficulties, Depression, Coaching, ADHD, Adoption and Foster Care, Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD), First Responder Issues, Guilt and shame, Immigration Issues, Life purpose, Multicultural Concerns, Postpartum Depression, Post-traumatic stress, Prejudice and Discrimination, Self-love, Women's issues
Clinical approaches: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), Mindfulness Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Trauma-Focused Therapy
MA LICSW 119044
These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Elissa Bargas. We don't pay anyone to provide their review and they are all made voluntarily. Some people's experience receiving therapy with BetterHelp might be different.
Elissa has helped me through a lot this year. I feel like she really listens to me and validates my emotions. She helps me to work through issues that I get stuck on. I'm grateful she was paired with me as my therapist.
Written on Feb 17, 2022 after therapy with Elissa for 7 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, self esteem, and bipolar disorder
I was skeptical of talk therapy before talking to Elissa. Over the last couple of months, Elissa has helped me develop practical tools that work for me and has encouraged me to grow more confident in my daily life.
Written on Jan 31, 2022 after therapy with Elissa for 4 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, lgbt, intimacy-related issues, self esteem, and coping with life changes
I have seen a fair number of therapists in my time. Some have been better than others. In my months of working with her, Elissa has consistently been a standout excellent therapist. She has been kind, patient, and respectful, yet refreshingly direct and clear. She is quick to understand the nuances of my situation, and is able to connect my experiences to her own. Oftentimes, when I feel like my issues are nebulous and complicated, she is able to offer simple and concrete solutions that significantly improve my life. The combination of her life experience and technical psych knowledge makes her advice invaluable.
Most importantly to me, Elissa does not require handholding when it comes to matters of personal identity. I have had the unfortunate experience of repeatedly having to explain terms that are common in the LGBT+ community to previous therapists. Not only has she done the research to be able to discuss queer issues with queer patients like myself, but she's also careful not to make assumptions on these axes of identity. I don't feel the need to defend or define myself when talking with Elissa, and this allows our conversations to be all the more productive.
I cannot rate Elissa highly enough. She has been about as good as a therapist as I could possibly request.
Written on Oct 18, 2021 after therapy with Elissa for 3 months on issues concerning lgbt, relationship issues, intimacy-related issues, coaching, and adhd
While I've only met with her once so far.... She was extremely easy to open up to. She didn't make me feel like she was staring into my eyes/soul trying me ready me like a book, which always makes me uncomfortable. Had a similar experience when I was a kid, which was part of the reason I never gave therapy a try again. She does a great job listening, seems interested in what I'm saying, or if she's not, she does a good job pretending. Lol. But will also take control and lead the Convo so I'm not the only one talking. I really like her.
Written on Aug 09, 2021 after therapy with Elissa for 3 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, self esteem, and anger management
I have always been hesitant about starting therapy simply because I questioned what type of relationship I can build with someone I don’t know. Talking to Elissa for that short time changed my whole outlook on therapy itself. My schedule doesn’t allow me to commit to therapist locally so it’s nice to be able to therapy in a safe space via FaceTime. I look forward to our future conversations.
Written on Jul 17, 2021 after therapy with Elissa for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, addictions, lgbt, relationship issues, family conflicts, intimacy-related issues, self esteem, career difficulties, coping with life changes, and coaching