Ellie Shumaker

At the heart of Ellie Shumaker’s practice is a conviction that every person she meets is, in her own words, a deep and marvelous mystery — someone worth knowing fully and accompanying with care. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker based in Richmond, Virginia, Ellie brings nearly two decades of licensed clinical experience to this work, alongside a rich academic formation spanning psychology, social work, and Christian education. Her counseling draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy within a Christian worldview, psychotherapy that traces how childhood shapes adult struggle, healing prayer, and creative modalities like art, journaling, and poetry.

She works with men, women, elderly individuals, and those with special needs who are navigating anxiety, depression, mood disorders, trauma, and recovery from abuse — including survivors of domestic violence, molestation, and rape — as well as those wrestling with alcohol, drug, or gambling addiction. She also supports people experiencing professional burnout, including those whose work follows them everywhere, the kind that buzzes in a coat pocket at ten at night and refuses to stay at the office.

Ellie’s goal in every session is to help people arrive at greater peace, more genuine love in their relationships, and a clearer sense of their own purpose. She offers online sessions, making her approach accessible wherever someone is ready to begin.