Jillian Ellison, LMFT
(she, her, hers)
About Me
I work with the people who hold it all together for everyone else—until they can’t. Whether you’re a high-functioning professional, first responder, military service member, or medical staff, my work focuses on helping you reclaim your life after moral injury, cumulative loss, and identity erosion. My clients are often the ones others depend on in crisis—yet behind closed doors they carry the weight of losses that never seem to resolve. Some live with relentless grief after losing a patient, a fellow soldier, a child, or someone they loved deeply—grief that refuses to move because it’s tangled with survivor’s guilt or a quiet belief they should have done more. Others arrive successful on paper but privately exhausted from decades of perfectionism, overfunctioning, and the unspoken drive to prove they are finally “enough.” I integrate EMDR therapy with somatic, attachment, and psychodynamic approaches to reach the root of these patterns—often beliefs formed long before the first loss ever occurred. In our work, fragmentation becomes a portal to integration, and the burden of carrying it all gives way to the capacity to fully inhabit your life again.
Education & Experience
I hold a Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University and a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from the University of Northern Colorado. My clinical experience spans residential and outpatient settings, including direct work with: • Veterans navigating moral injury and combat-related trauma • Medical personnel coping with patient loss and cumulative stress • First responders processing years of high-stakes exposure • Individuals living with relentless, unprocessed grief after the loss of a child or loved one—often complicated by survivor’s guilt or a sense of responsibility that makes acceptance feel impossible I am an EMDR-trained therapist completing certification under an EMDRIA-Approved Consultant. My approach blends EMDR with somatic resourcing, attachment repair, and object relations-based mapping to resolve core negative beliefs and restore a sense of agency. I have facilitated trauma process groups using containment strategies, peaceful place imagery, bilateral stimulation, and experiential interventions such as the Gestalt Empty Chair technique to support emotional regulation and reparenting.
Professional & Volunteer Affiliations
• EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) – EMDR Trained | Certification in Progress • California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) – Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (#156597) • California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) – Active Member • Psychology Today – Verified Therapist • Founder & Clinical Director – Beneath the Surface Therapy
Specialty Area
- Abuse/Neglect
- ADD/ADHD/Disruptive Behavior Disorders
- Addictions
- Alcohol/Substance Abuse
- Anxiety/Panic Attacks
- Bipolar Disorder
- Depression
- Eating Disorders
- Grief/Loss/Mourning
- Marriage/Relationship Issues
- Mood Disorders
- Moral Injury
- Personality Disorders
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Self-Harm
- Sexual Abuse
- Somatic Issues
- Spirituality
- Stress Management
- Survivor's Guilt
- Traumatic Incident
Population Served
- Adolescents (13-17)
- Adults
- First Responders
- Group
- LGBTQ+
- Residential Treatment Facility
- Seniors
- Veteran Center
- Veterans/Military
Language
- English
Insurance
- Does Not Accept Insurance