Gottman Referral Network

About

Dr. McMahon provides counseling for couples and individuals with issues concerning relationships, career planning, anxiety, depression, trauma, domestic violence, pre-marital and others.

Ellen strives to create an environment for her clients to feel safe while sharing their stories. She draws from different theoretical points of view and provides a variety of approaches to meet the individual needs of her clients. She is primarily influenced by Gottman Method Couples Therapy (GMCT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), Brief Solution Focused Therapy (BSFT), Interpersonal Therapy and Family Systems psychotherapy.

The Gottman Method is an approach to couples counseling that begins with an assessment of the couple's relationship and then integrates research-based interventions based on the couple's needs in three primary areas - friendship, conflict management, and creation of shared meaning. CBT applies a Socratic approach to counseling that is structured around identifying, clarifying and challenging underlying negative thought processes with the goal of promoting healthy and adaptive views of oneself, others and the world. As the name suggests, Brief Solution Focused Therapy is solution, not problem focused, and is a collaborative, goal setting approach that helps clients move toward more a satisfying life. EFT focuses on relationships and attachment patterns by creating and taking steps toward more secure attachments and building trust. The Interpersonal and Family Systems models help identify connections between early childhood attachment, family of origin issues, and family relationship patterns as the root of many psychological concerns.