About Elisa Nebolsine
I always tell my own kids that you don't have to choose one career for your whole life. And yet, after all of it, I cannot imagine doing anything else. After more than 25 years in practice, I am just as engaged by this work as I was at the start.
I trained rigorously in CBT and EMDR, and that grounding never leaves the room. But the work I do now is depth-oriented, exploring the interior life with the same rigor I once brought to thought records and protocols. I write and teach as well. I am still learning.
My Mission
Therapy, at its best, is an act of serious self-examination. It is not simply about feeling better, though that matters. It is about understanding yourself more fully: the beliefs you inherited, the stories you've been telling, the patterns that have quietly shaped your choices and your relationships for years.
My work is for people who want that depth. Adults who are thoughtful, intellectually engaged, and willing to look honestly at what is driving their inner lives. People who are not satisfied with surface-level coping, but want to understand why and to use that understanding to build a life that is more intentional, more authentic, and more their own.
I am not a passive therapist. I engage, challenge, and push. I also listen carefully and work hard to truly see you, not just your struggles, but your character, your capacity, and your potential for change.
AWARDS
Washingtonian “Top Therapist” in three distinct categories.
EDUCATION
MSW, Smith College School for Social Work, 1997
BA, Guilford College, 1995
BOOKS
ACCREDITATIONS
Certified Diplomate, Academy of Cognitive Therapy*
Beck Certified, Beck Institute*
*these certifications mean my therapy tapes have been listened to and scored to assess CBT competency
TEACHING + SUPERVISING
2008- Current | Clinical Supervisor, Adjunct Faculty | Beck Institute, Philadelphia, PA
2012-2022 | Clinical Practice with Children and Adolescents | Catholic University of America, Graduate School for Social Work, Washington, DC
Consultant for development of Tapouts, an app for children and teens to improve mental resilience and emotional intelligence