Elizabeth is a graduate of Stephens College in Columbia Missouri where she majored in Philosophy and Religion and Women's Studies. She spent a year in law school where she realized that her interests were in working with people in crisis and made the switch to social work. She is an alum of the Mandel School of Applied Social Science where she concentrated on adult mental health. For the past 25 years she has worked with survivors of trauma in a variety of settings in the Cleveland community. She began in the psychiatric emergency room at St. Vincent's Charity Hospital. Then became a program manager for the Adult and then the Child Mobile Crisis team. She worked as a clinical supervisor for the Children Who Witness Violence Project. Ultimately she ended up as a clinician and then the Clinical Director of the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center. Elizabeth now works in practice in Solon where she specializes in working with adults with trauma, marriage and family therapy, and divorce mediation.
Elizabeth has 6 years post graduate training at the Gestalt Institute specializing in family, couples, small systems and groups. She is a trained mediator and collaborative divorce expert who teaches these models state wide. She received her CNM from the Mandel Center which is where she became interested in mediation. She is also a continuing education provider for the State of Ohio Social Work, Counselor and Marriage and Family Board.
Why I Teach
Because I love the students. I learn as much from them as I teach them. Watching them interpret and integrate the materials and methods keeps me engaged and excited about social work.
Why I Chose this Profession
I chose social work because it provided a multi-disciplinary approach to work with people and effect change. It is a creative process that fosters growth on multiple levels of system.