
Elaina Gillilan
Elaina Gillilan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker practicing in Massachusetts. She earned her Master of Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis, where she specialized in Women’s Mental and Sexual Health, and holds a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Psychology from Purdue University. With a professional background spanning crisis intervention, community agencies, and both private and group practice, Elaina has collaborated with multidisciplinary teams including dietitians, psychiatrists, and other healthcare providers.
Elaina is dedicated to supporting individuals, especially women and those impacted by gender-based systems, as they navigate life’s transitions. Her focus includes adolescence, identity development, maternal health, career changes, and relationship shifts. Elaina’s practice is rooted in social justice and recognizes how systemic factors, identity, and environment shape well-being. She has significant experience with complex trauma, eating disorders, anxiety, depression, and co-occurring health conditions, as well as supporting survivors of intimate partner violence, human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and abuse. She is passionate about helping people create meaningful change, whether breaking generational cycles, building fulfilling relationships, or finding greater balance in day-to-day life.
Elaina sees therapy as a collaborative partnership built on trust, empowerment, and respect for each person’s expertise in their own life. She aims to create a warm, nonjudgmental, and affirming space, one where clients feel safe to bring their full selves, explore fears, process grief, or celebrate victories. Using a client-centered and integrative approach, Elaina blends evidence-based modalities including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and psychodynamic and somatic frameworks. Each session is individualized to foster resilience, build self-compassion, and strengthen relationships with self and others.
At the core of Elaina’s work are the values of connection, authenticity, and curiosity. Her goal is to foster an empowering environment where authenticity is honored, progress is celebrated, and every client’s story is held with dignity and compassion.
SPECIALTIES
Women’s Mental Health Across the Lifespan
Trauma & Trauma Recovery
Eating Disorders
Intimate Partner Violence, Sexual Violence, Human Trafficking, and Commercial Sexual Exploitation
Life Transitions (adolescence, maternal, career, relational, identity, etc.)
Identity Exploration & Empowerment
Intrapersonal/Interpersonal Skills
TREATMENT MODALITIES
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Psychodynamic Therapy
Trauma-Informed Care
Somatic Awareness
Client-Centered Therapy