Elaine Kovacs (she/her)

My Background and Approach

With over 12 years of professional experience in a variety of outpatient, crisis care, and hospital settings, I am experienced in navigating the challenges of the various healthcare systems. My hope is to provide a safe and welcoming space amid a difficult period in life, while providing concrete tools and positive, supportive feedback. While I utilize a variety of modalities depending on your needs, I am particularly experienced in the following: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy, Existential Therapy, Mindful Self-Compassion, and Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). I also am deepening my skills in trauma-informed approaches such as Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Written Exposure Therapy. I graduated from the Master's in Social Work program at the University of Texas at Austin in 2013, and before that I obtained a BA from the University of California, Berkeley in 2005.

Why I Became a Therapist

While I did not initially study to become a therapist, I found my way to this profession in my 30s after personal loss and grief. It has been my mission since entering the social work field, to provide support and empathy to caregivers, grievers, and those feeling lost. I have a special interest in the needs of adults and older adults as they are navigating grief, aging, and a shift in identity. But I am also open to exploring how other major life transitions--from a death, a break-up, a career change, an illness, or traumatic event--can also shake the very foundations of one's sense of values and purpose. My goal is to provide a space where I walk alongside you, honor your inherent worth and value, and share in the despair, anger, and anxieties of life's struggle. If I have provided a space where you can feel 'seen,' I feel joy in making this my profession.