- Trauma and grief
- Self esteem work
- English and Spanish
About Elena
Elena Zacarias de Palacios is a licensed marriage and family therapist with 30 years of experience. She helps people facing trauma and abuse, grief and loss, parenting challenges, low self-esteem, and big life changes. She also supports concerns tied to pregnancy and childbirth. Elena works in English and Spanish and practices in California.
She centers sessions on each person's story and strengths. Elena uses a client-centered approach, which means she listens first and follows the client's pace and goals. She may bring in hypnotherapy techniques when appropriate to help access calm states or to reframe difficult memories. Internal Family Systems is another approach she uses to help clients understand different parts of themselves and how those parts relate.
Elena aims for practical, down-to-earth work. Sessions focus on what a person wants to change and on small steps toward those goals. She encourages people to try tools between meetings and to report back on what helps or doesn't.
Her long experience has involved many kinds of problems and life stages. That background informs how she adapts methods for each person. Elena believes taking the first step is meaningful and works to make the process feel manageable.
Elena describes herself as someone who trusts clients as the experts in their lives. She listens for strengths, points out resources, and supports gradual progress toward greater confidence and coping.
She centers sessions on each person's story and strengths. Elena uses a client-centered approach, which means she listens first and follows the client's pace and goals. She may bring in hypnotherapy techniques when appropriate to help access calm states or to reframe difficult memories. Internal Family Systems is another approach she uses to help clients understand different parts of themselves and how those parts relate.
Elena aims for practical, down-to-earth work. Sessions focus on what a person wants to change and on small steps toward those goals. She encourages people to try tools between meetings and to report back on what helps or doesn't.
Her long experience has involved many kinds of problems and life stages. That background informs how she adapts methods for each person. Elena believes taking the first step is meaningful and works to make the process feel manageable.
Elena describes herself as someone who trusts clients as the experts in their lives. She listens for strengths, points out resources, and supports gradual progress toward greater confidence and coping.