Dr. Carly Ellman

I’m Dr. Carly Ellman, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and sports social worker with over 15 years of experience supporting individuals, families, and athletes across a wide range of life transitions.

My therapy style is warm, honest, collaborative, and grounded in compassion. I believe you are the expert of your own life, and my role is to help you build clarity, confidence, and tools that support your wellbeing both inside and outside the therapy room.

Whether you’re navigating anxiety, burnout, life transitions, relationship challenges, sport-related stress, or a desire for deeper self-understanding, you’ll find a safe, non-judgmental place to explore and grow.

My background includes clinical practice, college teaching, and working directly with youth, parents, and coaches to strengthen mental health, resilience, and relationships through evidence-based approaches.

I’ve also earned a Sports Social Work Certificate and serve on the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Mental Health Registry, where I work with athletes navigating performance pressure, identity, anxiety, and stress.

My approach to therapy is collaborative, warm, and grounded in evidence-based practice. I believe therapy should feel like a supportive partnership—one where you feel seen, heard, and empowered to explore what’s happening in your life without judgment. I work from a trauma-informed, strengths-based lens, helping clients understand the “why” behind their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors while building the skills needed to move toward meaningful change.

I draw primarily from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing, and mindfulness-based approaches. These modalities help clients increase self-awareness, develop healthier patterns, and reconnect with their values so they can make choices that feel more aligned with who they want to be.

As a sports social worker and member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Mental Health Registry, I also specialize in supporting athletes, parents, and coaches. I help clients navigate performance pressure, identity development, anxiety, burnout, perfectionism, and the unique demands of high-performance environments.

I believe mental fitness is just as important as physical training, and I work to create a space where athletes can bring their full selves—both the strengths and the struggles.

Whether you’re seeking support for anxiety, stress, burnout, life transitions, relationship challenges, or sport-related experiences, my goal is to help you develop resilience, build confidence, and create a life that feels authentic and sustainable.

Therapy with me is active, reflective, compassionate, and focused on helping you move forward at a pace that feels right for you.

Your first session with me is all about getting to know you—your story, your goals, and what brought you to therapy. We’ll take time to talk through what you’re experiencing right now, what you hope to change, and any questions or concerns you have about the process. My goal is to create a space where you feel safe, supported, and understood from the very beginning.

During our first meeting, we’ll explore your strengths, values, and what’s most important to you. We’ll also start identifying patterns or stressors that may be impacting your wellbeing. I’ll share how I work, what therapy with me looks like, and together we’ll begin building a plan that feels meaningful and achievable. You won’t have to “perform” or have everything figured out—just come as you are.

The environment I create is warm, collaborative, and non-judgmental. I want you to feel comfortable enough to be honest, curious, and open at your own pace. Many clients leave the first session feeling relieved, clearer about their goals, and optimistic about next steps. Most importantly, you’ll walk away knowing that you’re not doing this alone—we’re in it together.