Elena Santos
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
I work with couples, families, and adults facing relationship strain, trauma, caregiving pressure, and questions of faith or identity. I help clients slow down reactive cycles and practice clearer, more connected ways of responding.
- Emotion-focused therapy
- Family systems therapy
- Trauma-informed therapy
Practice details
- Languages
- English, Spanish
- Availability
- Morning and evening appointments Monday through Thursday, with telehealth across Texas and in-person sessions in Austin.
- Service formats
- Online, In person
- Locations and jurisdictions
- Texas, United States
Specializations
Couples counseling · Family conflict · Trauma · Caregiver stress
Who I work with
Adults · Couples · Families
Get to know me
- What I notice beneath recurring conflict
- Most repeated arguments are protecting something tender: a need for safety, respect, closeness, autonomy, or reassurance.
- How I handle difficult sessions
- I slow the conversation down, make space for each person, and keep us focused on understanding the cycle rather than finding a villain.
- A value I bring into every session
- Dignity. Even harmful patterns can be addressed without humiliating the people who are trying to change them.
- My approach in three words
- Warm, balanced, relational.
- What progress can look like
- Hard conversations become less explosive, repair happens sooner, and each person can be honest without losing connection.
Licenses
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
LCSW-DEMO-1106
Texas, United States
Education
Master of Social Work
University of Texas at Austin
2014
BA in Family Studies
Texas State University
2010