About Charles
Dr. Charles Hoy-Ellis welcomes people who are coping with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and the specific pressures faced by sexual and gender diverse communities. He writes plainly and listens closely, helping people name what is worrying them and decide on the next practical steps.
His style is calm and thoughtful, aimed at reducing overwhelm and restoring a clearer sense of direction. He brings 21 years of experience as a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, LICSW, working in community and independent practice in Washington.
Background and approach
His work pays attention to how social forces shape daily life and health. He often notices how internalized stigma, past hurts, and everyday expectations show up as anxiety, shame, or a sense of isolation. His core viewpoint comes from psychodynamic and phenomenological ideas.
That means he pays attention to patterns that developed in early life and the meanings people make about their experiences. He explains these patterns in plain terms and helps people see how old habits may no longer fit current life. Alongside that perspective he uses a range of practical therapies such as cognitive behavioral, narrative, and rational-emotive-behavioral techniques.
He adapts tools to each person rather than using one set method. Sessions include talking, reflecting, and trying new ways of responding to stress and anxiety. He emphasizes collaboration.
Clients are treated as experts on their lives while he offers clinical knowledge and questions that help people try different choices. He supports work on forgiveness, guilt and shame, loneliness, and finding a clearer sense of life purpose.
Therapeutic approaches and online sessions that meet you where you are
Dr. Hoy-Ellis draws on psychodynamic and phenomenological ideas to help people understand recurring feelings and behaviors. This approach looks at how early experiences and the meanings we made then shape current reactions, and it helps people notice patterns they may want to change.He also uses cognitive behavioral techniques to teach concrete skills for managing anxiety and stress. These practices focus on changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors through small experiments and new habits. Narrative work is used as well to reframe personal stories and reduce shame by separating a person from the problem they have been carrying.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. He collaborates with each person to pick methods that match their goals, needs, and preferences rather than imposing one fixed plan. This gives room to try strategies and adjust based on what helps.
Online therapy is offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to provide flexible ways to connect. Video sessions allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions can be useful when bandwidth is limited or for a shorter check-in. Live chat and text messaging are practical for brief updates, ongoing processing, or for those who prefer writing. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and different life situations.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
- Experience
- 21 years
- Licensed
- Washington
- Languages
- English
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