Compassionate Holistic Therapy
“Life is not the way it’s supposed to be, it’s the way it is. It’s the way you learn to cope with it that makes the difference.” ~ Virginia Satir
Meet Elisabeth Slate, PHD
LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST
I am a licensed counseling psychologist with 25 years of experience in the mental health field. Working for institutions such as The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Friends Hospital, as well as in community mental health and suburban private practice, has afforded me a breadth of experience that enriches my work with clients every day. I have served on the Board of Directors at Gemma Services (formed from the 2019 merger of theVillage and Martin Luther Silver Springs) and on the Board of Directors at The Common Place in Southwest Philadelphia. I have also served on the Session and the Board of Deacons at Wayne Presbyterian Church. Additional volunteer activities include leadership of parenting groups and faith-based groups for adults dealing with grief. As a native of beautiful Main Line Philadelphia, I have firsthand knowledge and experience of the area’s institutions, schools and success-oriented culture, as well as its many useful resources. My husband and I have two young adult children.
Credentials
Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, Temple University
Internship: Friends Hospital, Philadelphia, PA
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Dissertation: Attachment as Predictor of Postpartum Depression in First-Time Mothers
Pennsylvania Licensure (License #PS016222)
MSW and MA in Education, University of Michigan
BA in English, Cornell University
In addition to my academic background, I am trained in IFS, or the Internal Family Systems model (see centerforselfleadership.org) and in EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (see EMDRIA.org). I also hold a certification in Grief Therapy and Meaning Reconstruction from the Portland Institute for Loss and Transition (see portlandinstitute.org, and a certificate from the Institute for Advanced Psychotherapy of Loyola University in Chicago.
WHAT REALLY MAKES THERAPY WORK?
It can help with...
Above all, successful treatment experience hinges on the therapeutic relationship. If compassion, wisdom, and insight are important to you in a therapist, I hope you will contact me. My clients tell me that I have a warm and gentle presence that puts them at ease so they can get to the work at hand. What might that work look like? You are unique, and your therapy should fit you. My clinical knowledge and professional experience allow me to customize your treatment. I use a holistic approach—drawing from both insight-oriented, cognitive-behavioral, and dialectical-behavioral therapeutic modalities, all while accounting for each client’s stage of psychological development. I am trained in Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and regularly incorporate these into my practice. In 2022, I completed certification in Grief Therapy and Meaning Reconstruction through the Portland Institute for Loss and Transition. I am versed in the Enneagram and in the needs of HSP (Highly Sensitive Person) clients.
Life Challenges: Therapy in the Age of Covid
Over the past several years, Covid-19 has greatly amplified what might once have been considered "normal" life stressors and has created a host of new ones. Trauma, uncertainty, and loss of all kinds are hallmarks of the current era, and sadly, the rise in anxiety and depression following Covid comes as no surprise. Perhaps you are reeling from the pademic's many ripples and are trying to regain your footing -- to reinvent yourself when "the way it used to be" is no longer a realistic expectation. Or perhaps you are grieving great loss -- of a loved one, a job, a relationship, or your own health. Or perhaps the title of psychotherapist Lori Gottlieb's bestselling book -- Maybe You Should Talk to Someone -- simply rings true right now. Whatever your experiences of Covid, a compassionate and practical therapeutic encounter can help you to make sense of your experience while gently challenging you to live life with a renewed sense of purpose.
Attachment: Connecting, Disconnecting and Reconnecting
When you get right down to it, life is about relationships: to ourselves, to others, and to the larger systems in which we are embedded. While some of these are positive and life-giving, others cause us heartache and pain. Managing difficult relationships and healing from relationship trauma are essential therapeutic tasks that can help us to lead more balanced lives -- lives in which we become more attuned to ourselves and to our interactions with others. Using Internal Family Systems (IFS) as a framework to understand your internal landscape, I can help you to determine your attachment style, how it developed, and how it plays out in your current relationships.
Life Transitions, Grief, and Bridging the Gap:
Normal life transitions, such as becoming a parent, launching a child to college, or retiring, can leave us feeling empty and unmoored; our lives may suddenly lack the shape, structure, and purpose they once had. Similarly, loss from death or divorce can cause us to question everything we once knew for certain and can cause feelings of profound sadness, or even despair. Indeed, grief assumes many forms. I can help you to cope with the overwhelm of the immediate loss, and ultimately, to grow as you meaning of the experience and integrate it into your personal story.
Parenting and Caring for Parents:
Are you a new parent feeling overwhelmed with the demands of an infant? Are you feeling perplexed by your child's behavior or entry into a new developmental phase? We all wish at times that our children came with the proverbial instruction manual. I offer parents insight into their children's behavioral "language" and can teach you the skills of attunement, as well as effective and compassionate ways to communicate with your child. Together we can create clear and developmentally-appropriate expectations that help to ease these sometimes-turbulent developmental phases. My background in Attachment Theory informs the work I do with biological parents as well as with those raising adopted or foster children.
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Perhaps you are no longer actively parenting your children, but are caring for elderly parents (or maybe you are doing both). This emerging dynamic can be fraught with emotional complications for many adult children, particularly those who had negative or even traumatic experiences with their parents while growing up. In these instances, care for the caregiver is essential. Therapy offers a means to sort out the difficult emotional responses that arise in these situations, in a context of compassionate support.
Therapy Services
Professional Support
Providing individual and family therapy services to support mental health and well-being. Collaborating with client's mental health team, including school personnel, with client's consent.
Providing therapy and clinical supervision for mental health professionals. Supporting the growth and development of mental health practitioners.
Referral Services
Educational Talks
SERVICES OFFERED
Offering referrals to psychiatry, educational testing, and academic coaching services. Connecting clients with appropriate resources for ancillary support.
Practice Details
Delivering engaging presentations to groups on various mental health topics. Sharing insights and knowledge to promote mental wellness in the community.
At this time, my practice is exclusively virtual. I use SimplePractice, a secure platform, for those anywhere in Pennsylvania, where I am licensed to practice.Therapy cannot be effective without the absolute assurance of complete confidentiality. I do not communicate with others about a client unless I have on file that client’s signed consent allowing me to do so. That consent may be withdrawn at any time. I make every effort to ensure the privacy of email and telephone communications, and also should in-person contact coincidentally occur in public. 14 is the age of consent for outpatient therapy, which means that, if you are 14 or over, your treatment is confidential and that I do not routinely share the content of your sessions with your parents. If, however, you disclose that you are engaging in dangerous or self-destructive behaviors or are contemplating further self-harm, I will ask your parent(s) or guardian to join our session and will support you in conveying this to them. In extreme cases, I do contact parents (or significant others/family members in the case of adult clients) and break confidentiality in order to ensure client safety. If a client under the age of 18 reports that s/he is being physically or sexually abused, I am required by law to report this information to child protective authorities.
Between Session Contact
Within reason, clients may contact me via cell phone, email or text message to schedule, provide updates, or ask brief questions. I will do my best to respond in a timely manner. More involved issues are best reserved for in-office discussion, unless a phone session has been specifically scheduled. In the event of a mental health emergency, please visit your nearest crisis center or emergency room. You may also contact me directly.
PAYMENT
I am not part of an insurance network but will be happy to furnish receipts for those who wish to use their out-of-network benefit or flex-pay accounts. Payment is due by check, Venmo (@ElisabethSlate), or cash at the time of service. Except in extenuating circumstances, no-shows or cancelations with less than 24 hours’ notice will incur the full session fee, which is $200.
"I worked with Dr. Elisabeth Slate for six years (from the ages of 17 to 23). During that time, I grew tremendously. Whereas I once was an anxious and unconfident teenager, I now possess the skills and self-assurance to live a life I am proud of. This change was largely due to Dr. Slate’s guidance. Her unfailing belief in me, coupled with her compassionate nature, allowed me to evolve into a more authentic version of myself. With time, I became curious about my inner life, which taught me how to approach my own complexities with empathy rather than judgment. As a result of my work with Dr. Slate, I now feel well-equipped to deal with any challenges life presents." ~ G.F.
