Ellen Paris

Ellen has recently retired from over 3 decades as an elementary school counselor. Ellen has a plethora of experience with children and parenting. She loves to bring a realistic approach to restoring peace in the midst of changes (children, school, divorce, death, unrest, retirement, etc.) that interrupt the flow of life. She will pull from her vast experiences & training to help you regain your foothold on life once again.

Ellen believes that we all have the capacity to enjoy life and that things will happen that try to interfere with that Joy. She also believes that our feelings often govern our actions. Feelings are valuable but they need to be honored, assessed and sometimes they need to change or recreated by reframing our circumstances.

You can expect 3 things from Ellen. She will listen, she will not judge and she will be honest and help you explore options to resolve and restore peace in your life.

Ellen holds a B.S. degree in Psychology from University of Evansville (1980) and M.S. degree in Counseling from Indiana University School of Education (1982). She is certified in Grief Work, Understanding Poverty, Divorce Support, and Challenge Course/Low Ropes. Her most cherished awards are JCCAPC Friend of the Child Award (2003) and Indiana NASW Partner of the Year (2011) and Lilly Endowment Grant to Study Equine Therapy (2015). Ellen has also mentored over 20 college students through internships and has greatly enjoyed that opportunity.

Prior to Ellen’s 30+ years in the school setting, she ran the treatment program for a Shelter Care Facility for status offender/abused & neglected adolescents for 6 years and started the CASA program in Johnson County. She is currently a facilitator for the Challenge Course/Low Ropes Course at the FFA Center and a facilitator for the Families In Transition Program. She also volunteers with Meadowstone Therapeutic Riding Barn and is a Deacon in her church. She has volunteered as a Brookes Place BP8 facilitator, Grief Share facilitator, Child Protection Team advisor for DCS, Elder and Bible Study Leader in her church. Ellen has been a presenter at the state level and colleges on the topics of Handling Crisis Events, School Counseling, and Grief Support. She has presented at local level on Poverty, Childhood abuse and neglect, Trauma in the school setting, Impact of Crisis & Grief, as well as several book studies in the school setting and in her church.

Ellen lives with her husband of 38 years on the old family farm. She has three grown children, 2 of which are adopted from what she calls the “package deal” of marriage as she became an instant mom! There are also three granddaughters of 10 months, 4 ½, and 20 years at this writing (11/2020). She iidentifies as an ally for the LGBTQ community and passionate about her faith. Ellen loves exploring the outdoors by kayaking, hiking, biking and gardening. Mindfulness, Yoga, Equine Therapy, Grief Work, Being Authentic, Humor, Conflict Resolution, Social Justice and Spirituality are her main passions…. besides her family!

Authors that have impacted her life: God, Leo Buscaglia, Norman Vincent Peale, Zig Ziglar, Melody Beattie, James Fogarty, Howard Glasser, Jeanette Walls, Anna Twinney, Ruby Payne, Max Lucado, Kim Meeder, Heather Forbes, Anne Lamott, Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer, Brene Brown to name a few. Reading and continuing to learn are passions as well that never grow old!