Training Program Director, Staff Therapist
Ellen Bee, LCPC, PMH-C
Ellen Bee, MA, LCPC, PHM-C (she/her) is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and the Training Director at Chicago Psychotherapy. She earned her Master’s degree in Counseling from Northwestern University and completed an advanced post-graduate fellowship at The Family Institute at Northwestern, where she received specialized training in systemic and evidence-based therapy practices.
Ellen brings over a decade of clinical experience across diverse settings, including outpatient clinics, residential treatment, specialized foster care, and school-based and community programs. Prior to joining Chicago Psychotherapy, she served as a staff therapist in Child, Adolescent, and Family Services at The Family Institute, where she worked with individuals and families navigating anxiety, depression, adoption-related concerns, life stage transitions, and family business dynamics. She also served as Program Director for Rainbows, a national nonprofit supporting children experiencing grief, divorce, or other family transitions.
Ellen’s clinical specialties include the treatment of Anxiety Disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Mood Disorders, Perinatal Mental Health, Adoption-Related Issues, and Adjustment Concerns across the lifespan. As a first-generation Asian American, Ellen brings particular interest and insight to working with clients exploring family-of-origin themes, bicultural identity, intergenerational dynamics, perfectionism, and cultural values. She honors the importance of intersectionality in understanding each client’s story and strives to create a therapeutic space where clients feel deeply seen, respected, and empowered.
Ellen’s clinical work is rooted in a culturally responsive and integrative approach, drawing from gold-standard therapies including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused CBT, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Family Systems Therapy, and Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE and SPACE Expanded for ARFID/Failure to Launch). Her style is warm, authentic, and collaborative – fostering self-awareness, resilience, and growth for her clients.
Ellen is certified in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C) through Postpartum Support International. She supports individuals and couples through the emotional complexities of fertility challenges, pregnancy, early parenthood, and medical trauma. Her approach honors the layered experiences that come with building a family – grief, identity shifts, anxiety, relational strain, and intergenerational dynamics. Ellen provides a compassionate, nonjudgmental space to explore both the joys and difficulties of these transitions, helping clients cultivate self-compassion, resilience, and emotional well-being.
In addition to her clinical practice, Ellen offers leadership coaching and professional development services for individuals navigating identity, communication, and purpose in both personal and professional domains. She completed intensive training through the Coaching and Positive Psychology (CaPP) Institute and brings a strengths-based, human-centered lens to her work with emerging and seasoned leaders. She has also supported families navigating the complexities of family-run businesses, offering insight into the relational dynamics at the intersection of legacy and leadership.
Ellen also has specialized experience working with gifted and twice-exceptional youth, gained through her work at Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development. She is passionate about supporting the social-emotional development of neurodivergent learners and partnering with families to help them thrive.
Above all, Ellen is committed to building relationships grounded in trust, empathy, and collaboration, and to helping clients discover the inner resources they need to move forward with clarity and confidence.
