Elana aims to create a therapeutic space embodied by curiosity, creativity, and care. She believes that when youth are given the right outlet, they often already hold the words, images, and ideas they need to begin making sense of their experiences. When she's not working, Elana loves to spend time with her friends and family, cuddling her black cat, Pea, and crocheting a fun project.

Training and Education

Elana is currently pursuing a Master of Social Work at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She graduated from Towson University with a Bachelors in Psychology. Her six years of nonprofit experience have taken her across the child welfare landscape, doing both direct and indirect work in children’s advocacy. She currently serves as a Comprehensive Care Specialist at Camp Opportunity, where she works alongside youth ages 8–11 who have experienced abuse and neglect at a transformational summer camp experience. 

Supervisor: Julianne Meagher, LCSW-C, RPT-S™

Therapeutic Approach

Elana integrates tools from cognitive-behavioral therapy, play therapy, and other expressive techniques, particularly storytelling and art, to create space for clients to explore who they are in ways that feel natural and safe. Drawing on her work with youth from trauma backgrounds, Elana approaches each client through a strengths-based, trauma-informed lens. She is less interested in defining clients by what has happened to them and more invested in helping them discover what they are capable of moving forward. Her work centers on building resilience, affirming identity, and creating a therapeutic space where exploration and self-discovery are celebrated.

One of Elana's areas passion and focus is body image and eating disorders and their impact on youth. In an era where social media shapes so much of how children and adolescents see themselves, she recognizes how early and how powerfully harmful messages can take root. Elana is committed to helping young people develop a kinder, more grounded relationship with their bodies, untangling external noise from an internal sense of worth. She sees this work as inseparable from the broader work of identity and self-esteem.

Elana approaches her work not only as a clinician in training, but as someone who carries her own lived experience into the room. As a neurodivergent person, she has navigated moving through systems, particularly educational ones, that were not always designed for brains like hers. She warmly welcomes clients who share similar experiences, and offers a grounded, affirming space for families navigating neurodivergence without judgment.

Practice Location

• Catonsville
• Columbia