Elissa Crandall, LMFT

Pronouns: She/her/hers

Phonetic pronunciation of name: “UH-LISS-UH”

Role at Evergreen: Clinician

As a therapist, my first priority is to cultivate a space together that feels safe to explore the depths of your story and all that makes you, you. My goal in our work is to help you deepen a relationship within yourself that feels meaningful and extends into all other relationships you hold. I hope to support you in challenging the inner voice that can be harsh and relentless and trusting more fully in the compassionate wisdom you have inside. I aim to sit beside and with you as we face unbearable past experiences together, so they may once and for all be set aside, freeing you to live joyfully in the present moment. 

Elissa | Evergreen Counseling

Clinical Style

Genuine, authentic, present, empathetic, curious, and optimistic.

License

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist #121113

Degrees

Naropa University | Master of Arts in Transpersonal Clinical Counseling with an Emphasis in Wilderness Therapy | 2018

California State University Sacramento | Bachelors of Science in Psychology with a Minor in Child Development | 2014

Advanced Trainings

Motivational Interviewing, Motivational Interviewing Training Network 2016

Peer Counselor Training: Working with Survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, WEAVE 2017

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, PESI 2016

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, PESI 2018

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, PESI 2019

TF-CBT, TF-CBT training center 2020

Nurtured Heart Therapy | Alisa Pfanner | 2020, 2021

EMDR Basic Training, EMDRIA 2021

The Power of Process in Healing Trauma & Dissociation, The Institute of Creative Mindfulness 2023

Why I do this work

For much of my life, I have been pursuing the work of healing “old wounds” within my family dynamic to build stronger and healthier connections between the people I love and within myself. In my professional pursuits, it became overwhelmingly evident how many people shared this longing for purpose and belonging, yet felt trapped by the harsh consequences of trauma. I grew passionately towards supporting clients in making meaning from their circumstances, experiencing their life from a post-traumatic growth lens, and finding connections with others in their lives. My work in wilderness therapy, domestic violence shelters, therapeutic residential settings, private practice, and my own therapeutic work with EMDR validated for me the reality that healing these old wounds is possible. I am here today, to share this reality with you.

The best part of my job

The best part of my job is witnessing people breaking down the internalized beliefs of "I am not good enough" or "I am not lovable" and beginning to grow a strong connection to themselves. I love seeing clients begin to see their inherent worth, start implementing healthy boundaries, and recognize all that they truly deserve from themselves and the world around them.

How I spend my free time

Cargo biking my son and dog around town, backpacking in Desolation Wilderness, or bike-packing up and down the coast.

Favorite quote

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” Anaïs Nin

Top personal growth resources

  • The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D.
  • Awake in the Wild by Mark Coleman
  • In An Unspoken Voice by Peter Levine, PhD
  • Wherever You Go There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn
  • The Being Well podcast by Peter Levine, PhD
  • The Gifts of Imperfection by Bréne Brown, PhD

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