Ellen Thornton-Love, LCSW

Ellen Thornton-Love is a licensed clinical social worker in Oregon with two decades of experience. She works with people who are feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, grief, or the aftereffects of trauma and abuse. Ellen also helps people who are struggling with parenting concerns and mood-related difficulties.

Her approach centers on listening first and then shaping a plan that fits each person's life. She uses plain language and practical steps during sessions. Conversations focus on what is most pressing and what can be changed now.

Ellen blends tools from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and client-centered care. That means she helps people notice unhelpful thoughts, try small behavioral changes, and clarify personal values. Motivational interviewing and solution-focused techniques are used when helpful to set achievable goals and build momentum.

She pays attention to how past family relationships affect current patterns. She also supports people managing chronic pain, caregiver stress, sleep disruption, and financial worry. Work in sessions can include problem-solving, skills practice, and planning for setbacks.

People who choose Ellen can expect a calm, respectful tone and steady guidance. She invites collaboration and adapts the pace to what feels right. Taking a first step can feel hard, and her role is to walk alongside people as they try out new ways of coping.

How therapy approaches translate to online work

CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing small behavior changes to reduce distress. It is useful for anxiety, panic, mood problems, and stress-related patterns. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters to them and take value-based actions even when uncomfortable emotions appear; it can help with grief, chronic illness, and long-term stress. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes listening and building a supportive relationship so people can find their own solutions and feel heard.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Ellen will discuss options, try techniques together, and adjust based on what helps you meet your goals. The plan can blend methods so sessions match your needs, pace, and preferences.

Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy more flexible. Video is useful for full conversations and skills practice, phone works well for lower bandwidth or when you prefer not to be on camera, live chat offers a focused back-and-forth for shorter check-ins, and messaging lets you share thoughts between sessions. These options help fit therapy into busy schedules and different life rhythms.