About Dr. Amy Ellis

Choosing a therapist can feel overwhelming. Research consistently shows that one of the strongest predictors of successful therapy is not a particular technique or intervention, but the quality of the relationship between therapist and client. For that reason, I believe it is important for you to have a sense of who I am and not just where I trained.

At my core, I am a relational therapist. I believe that healing happens in the context of authentic, meaningful relationships. My goal is to create a therapeutic environment where clients feel understood, challenged, supported, and accepted as they work toward meaningful change.

My work is deeply influenced by several important parts of my life. As a trauma psychologist, I have spent my career helping individuals understand the impact of difficult experiences on their relationships, identity, emotions, and sense of self. As a parent, I have developed an even deeper appreciation for the importance of safety, delight, connection, and unconditional acceptance in human development. As an animal lover, I have witnessed the profound healing that can occur through relationships that offer consistency, comfort, and companionship. I am also deeply committed to social justice, affirming care, and understanding the ways in which culture, identity, privilege, and oppression shape our experiences.

Clients often describe me as warm, genuine, thoughtful, and easy to talk to. While I take my work very seriously, I do not believe therapy has to feel overly formal. Humor, curiosity, honesty, and authenticity all have a place in the therapy room.

Professional Background

I am a licensed psychologist with specialized training and expertise in the treatment of trauma, complex trauma, dissociation, eating disorders, and relationship concerns.

I earned my doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in Clinical Psychology from Nova Southeastern University, where I received extensive training through the Trauma Resolution and Integration Program (TRIP), a community mental health clinic specializing in the treatment of survivors of childhood trauma, including sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect, and other forms of interpersonal violence. I also earned a Master of Arts degree in Psychology from Adelphi University and a bachelor’s degree from Hofstra University.

I completed my predoctoral internship at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center, a teaching hospital affiliated with Harvard Medical School, and my postdoctoral residency at The Renfrew Center of Coconut Creek, where I received specialized training in the treatment of eating disorders.

Currently, I serve as Director of the Trauma Resolution and Integration Program (TRIP) and Associate Professor in the College of Psychology at Nova Southeastern University. In these roles, I provide clinical supervision, train future psychologists, oversee trauma-focused clinical services, and engage in research and scholarship related to trauma, attachment, psychotherapy, and professional training.

In addition to my clinical and academic work, I am actively involved in professional leadership within the American Psychological Association (APA). I currently serve in several leadership and editorial roles and am an Associate Editor for Practice Innovations. My professional activities focus on advancing psychotherapy practice, training, supervision, and trauma-informed care.

My clinical and research interests include trauma, complex trauma, dissociation, attachment and relationships, psychotherapy process and outcomes, supervision and training, and trauma within underserved and historically marginalized communities.

I am also authorized through PSYPACT to provide telehealth services to clients located in participating PSYPACT states.

For more information, please see Dr. Ellis’ CV (last updated June 2026).

Why Trauma Work?

People sometimes ask how I became interested in trauma work. The truth is, I did not initially set out to become a trauma psychologist.

When I started graduate school, I was fascinated by attachment and early childhood development. I was particularly interested in the first few years of life and the ways parents help children develop a sense of safety, trust, and security. Ironically, at the time, I did not even think I wanted children of my own.

My path toward trauma work happened somewhat unexpectedly. Early in my training, I responded to a job posting for an editorial assistant position with an international trauma psychology journal. Through that experience, I spent countless hours reading trauma research and learning from remarkable mentors and clinicians. Somewhere along the way, I found myself drawn to the field.

Actually, that’s not quite right. It wasn’t trauma itself that captured my attention. It was the depth and intimacy of the work.

Over time, I realized that much of trauma therapy is fundamentally about relationships. It is about helping people understand how painful experiences have shaped the ways they relate to themselves and others. It is about rebuilding trust, fostering connection, and creating new experiences of safety and understanding. In many ways, I found myself coming full circle. The same curiosity that originally drew me to attachment and child development was still there but it had simply taken a different form.

One of the most meaningful lessons I have learned through this work is that healing relationships can be built long after childhood. While early experiences matter, human beings continue to grow, change, connect, and heal throughout their lives. I think there is something profoundly hopeful about that.

I am also, perhaps surprisingly, an introvert. Don’t be fooled by the presentations, trainings, leadership roles, or long list of professional activities (I promise, I still get nervous before every presentation). What energizes me most has always been meaningful, authentic connection. I am deeply interested in people, in relationships, and in understanding the ways we make sense of ourselves and the world around us.

Through my work, I have learned again and again that beneath many of our struggles lies a very human desire: to feel understood, accepted, valued, and connected. Helping people move toward those experiences remains one of the greatest privileges of my professional life.

Some Things You Should Know About Me

A Few Things You Should Know About Me

• I am endlessly fascinated by relationships. I tend to pay close attention to the important relationships in my clients’ lives. Over the years, I have developed a somewhat surprising ability to remember not only my clients’ stories, but also the names, roles, and relationships of the people who matter most to them.
• I am a firm believer that humor belongs in therapy. While I take my work very seriously, I do not take myself too seriously. Therapy can involve tears, laughter, awkward moments, frustration, growth, and everything in between. Dark humor, bad jokes, and occasional sarcasm are all welcome.
• I love animals. Pets provide companionship, comfort, safety, and connection in ways that can be deeply healing. My own dogs have held such an important place in my life that I have two tattoos in honor of them. My future dream job involves running a farm animal sanctuary. Until then, you can often find me spending my weekends visiting local farms, cuddling cows and goats, and trying very hard not to bring any additional animals home. Because I recognize the important role animals can play in emotional well-being, I am always happy to welcome pets into telehealth sessions when appropriate. Whether they are curled up next to you, making a guest appearance on camera, or serving as your unofficial emotional support animal, I understand that for many people these relationships are an important source of comfort, regulation, and connection. I believe there is something uniquely powerful about relationships that offer acceptance, consistency, comfort, and connection without requiring us to be anything other than ourselves.
• I am deeply committed to social justice, affirming care, and creating spaces where people feel respected, valued, and understood. I believe our identities, communities, and life experiences shape who we are and deserve thoughtful consideration in therapy.
• Despite a long list of presentations, trainings, and leadership roles, I am actually quite introverted. I still get nervous before presentations and public speaking events. I often joke that one of the great ironies of my career is that I provide exposure therapy to clients while continuing to experience anxiety before nearly every presentation I give. Apparently, exposure works…just not as quickly or dramatically as I would like. What energizes me most has never been standing in front of a room. It has always been meaningful one-on-one conversations, deep relationships, and genuine human connection.
• I believe people are generally doing the best they can with the tools they have available. I also believe we all have room to grow. As a therapist, I strive to balance compassion with challenge, acceptance with accountability, and support with honest feedback.
• I am constantly learning. Some of the most meaningful lessons I have learned have come not from textbooks or research articles, but from my clients, students, mentors, children, and the many relationships that have shaped my own life.

A Quick Note About Titles

People often ask whether they should call me “Dr. Ellis.” The short answer is that you can call me whatever feels most comfortable.

I worked hard for my degree and am proud of the training and expertise it represents. At the same time, I do not believe meaningful therapy happens because of titles, credentials, or professional distance. Therapy is ultimately a relationship between two people, and I have found that different people prefer different ways of relating.

Some clients prefer to call me Dr. Ellis because it feels reassuring to know they are working with a trained professional who can help guide them through difficult experiences. Others prefer Amy because it feels warmer, more personal, and more reflective of the collaborative nature of our work together. Some people strike a balance and call me Dr. Amy.And in some rarer circumstances, “Hey, you” works just fine too.

In fact, I have written previously about my thoughts on titles, hierarchy, and authenticity within professional relationships. If you’re interested, you can read more here: Doctor, Professor, or First Name Basis?

Ultimately, I care much more about the quality of our relationship than what name you use to address me.

Learn more about my approach to therapy.