Meet OUR Team: Eleanor

The moment I met Eleanor, it was clear she would belong on the OUR team. Beyond her clinical talent, intelligence, and passion, she radiates a warmth and empathy that align perfectly with OUR practice — and she shares many of the values and interests that unite OUR clinicians.

What drew you to becoming a therapist?

I am passionate about therapy from both sides of the chair. Psychotherapy indelibly improved my life and interpersonal functioning, as well as the lives of my loved ones. It is an immense privilege to be capable of forming healthful relationships with myself and others, and it's an honor to guide clients through similar work.

What kind of clients do you work with best?

I work best with clients who are psychologically-minded, self-aware and motivated, though I'm not afraid of challenging discrepancies or starting "slow and low" with clients new to therapy. I love working with adults, especially young women, and I am LGBTQIA+-allied and kink-informed. I also have specific experience with Jewish clients of all levels of observance, from Reconstructionist/Renewal to Haredi/Hasidic, and I really love working within the Jewish community - though I always seek to embody the idea that my own conception of my Judaism might look different from others'.

I am also drawn to clients working on their relationships with sex. I specifically enjoy working to reduce shame and stigma around sex and kink, and I am trauma-informed regarding sexual, relational, or self-esteem-related trauma. I particularly enjoy working within the sub-niche of unpacking religious trauma and shame as it relates to sex.

What’s one experience that shaped how you practice today?

My graduate school practicum was within the OCD/ERP/CBT realm, and while I still enjoy working within that world, my most meaningful and impactful work was more psychodynamic and person-centered (with a client with PDD). I realized how much I enjoy relational, explorative work, and this experience of my profound bond with this client engendered my deeper interest and commitment to dimensional, dynamic work.

What do you hope clients take away from working with you?

I hope clients are able to feel seen, understood, and emotionally held. As a clinician, I believe it is crucial to offer a judgment-free space and to act as a container for and witness to clients' many parts and challenging, strong feelings. I also operate within the lens of cultural humility, and hope that clients always feel that I am working to understand the intricacies and intersections of their many facets of identity.

What’s a book, show, or podcast you’re currently enjoying?

I just finished the novel Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow which is about a long and complicated friendship, and I loved how it showed that profound, life-changing relationships might not be defined or constrained by normative labels such as romantic partnership, boyfriend/girlfriend etc. In the more clinical vein, I am also enjoying the following podcasts/shows: "Couples Therapy", "Where Should We Begin?" and "IFS Talks".