669-240-1003
Professional Bio
Ellen Ross, PsyD is a licensed clinical psychologist in California (PSY27715). She has experience in a wide variety of settings supporting many different people with a range challenges and life circumstances.
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Her clinical experience prior to private practice includes:
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Working as a volunteer at domestic violence hotline in Portland, Oregon
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Supporting mothers and their children residing in a sober living environment in Los Angeles
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Assessment and group therapy with men and women in residential and outpatient substance use treatment settings at CARE in Los Angeles
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Psychological and Neuropsychological assessment at UC Irvine Medical Center
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Addressing a wide variety of concerns with low income individuals and couples at a community mental health clinic in West Los Angeles
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Experience at an internal Employee Assistance Program at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento providing therapy for individuals, couples, and adolescents and consultation to managers and work groups
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Completing emergency assessment and mental health consultation at El Camino Hospital Emergency Department.
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Extensive experience working with serious mental illness in acute, sub-acute, and outpatient settings.
In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Ross is passionate about sharing knowledge and her passion for the field and has held roles of teaching, training, and supervision. She was responsible for training all staff at a sub-acute mental health rehabilitation center as well as instructing medical students at UC Davis. She has provided supervision to pre-doctoral students and master’s level clinicians moving toward licensure. Dr. Ross has worked on a task force at Telecare to produce a company wide suicide, self-harm, and violence risk assessment as well as a corresponding training. The training Dr. Ross contributed to helped over 2,000 providers understand signs and assess for risk of suicide and violence.
She has completed research regarding clinician abilities and beliefs about treating trauma while in substance use treatment environment. While in graduate school, Dr. Ross was a senior psychometrist in a longitudinal study looking at the cognitive impacts of living with HIV/AIDs.
She currently serves as the Disaster Response co-chair for the Santa Clara County Psychological Association.
Dr. Ross enjoys utilizing the variety of her professional experiences including testing, group therapy, and working in medical centers. This training has provided her with a unique ability among therapists to understand and incorporate assessment results, knowledge of multidisciplinary teams, and understanding of group dynamics into an individualized treatment plan.
She will draw on her extensive training and experience to support you in moving towards the life you want.
Get to know Dr. Ross
I believe everyone deserves the opportunity to create the vibrant life they want.
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At first, I was drawn to psychology at the age of 17 because of a fascination with human behavior and wonderment about how people come to be who they are. I was hooked when during a high school psychology class we learned about the “diathesis stress model of psychopathology,” which piqued my interest about the interplay between nature and nurture. Little did I know, a bit of academic curiosity would blossom into something much more abundant than I ever imagined. At the time I was poised to begin graduate school, I experienced a shocking and painful event in my own family when a cousin took his own life. We were not close as adults, but I have clear and joyful memories of him as an excited little kid. I still carry profound sadness for his lost life. That day galvanized my desire to become a psychologist to try to do something about people feeling as if there is no solution to a problem short of death. If you feel this way, there is hope. Treatment works!
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I’m thankful that everyday I get to support people in discovering more about themselves, learning how to have new experiences, and growing on the path towards the life they want to have. Every time I get to sit with a client, my perspective is broadened and I learn something.
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When you come to therapy with me it will be about you- your unique experiences, values, and goals. Often people want to know something about their psychologist, because we won’t spend our time talking about me, if you're interested, here are 5 fun facts about me:
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I live in San Jose with my wonderful partner, our dog, Lilac, and cat, Jameson. We enjoy taking advantage of the typically mild weather in the bay area by walking down to local shops and restaurants.
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Travelling inspires me. It allows me to connect to different people, places, and times. One of my favorite moments was walking across a stone bridge in Brugge, Belgium built in the 15th century. I felt humbled and connected to something much larger than myself as I couldn’t help but think about all of the people who have crossed the bridge before me.
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I love humming birds and I have had one land on my finger. At 8 years old my grandpa coached me to stay completely still, calm, and breathe easy at the feeder... eventually one will land. As an adult I’ve come to realize that moments like these laid the foundation for skills like patience and quiet observation that serve me well as a psychologist.
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In my free time I love to cycle. On a bike I feel powerful and free. In 2015 I rode a century (100 miles!) in Central California and hope to repeat the feat in the near future.
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Creative expression is a source of joy for me. For a very long time I believed I couldn’t be taught to draw, so I immersed myself in photography. A couple years ago I decided to take a painting class. Watercolor was the only class offered at a time I could attend. Turns out, I can draw (a little) and watercolors are my jam!
I want my clients to know I support them and their families. I believe there are endless ways to be in the world and I want you to find your unique, rich, and meaningful life. I’ve been through my own therapy as a young adult when I was stuck in a bout of depression and I have struggled with my own identity and what that might mean for myself and the people I love. Through grappling with those circumstances I got to find meaning, connection, and purpose in a life I have found to be beautiful.