Soulwise Counseling is a space for the deep feelers, the overthinkers, the spiritually curious, and the quietly exhausted.
It’s for the people who’ve always sensed they were a little different—who have spent years trying to make life work in a world that wasn’t really designed with them in mind.

Here, therapy isn’t about fixing what’s broken (because you’re not broken). It’s about slowing down, getting curious, and reconnecting with the parts of you that have been there all along—just waiting to be understood.

Soulwise is a neurodivergent-affirming, spiritually open, trauma-informed therapy practice grounded in the belief that healing happens when we feel seen, held, and deeply known. Whether you’re navigating burnout, uncovering your neurodivergence, or asking big questions about who you are and how you want to live, this is a space for becoming.

meet Ellie castellano, LPC

I’m Ellie—a therapist, a lifelong question-asker, and the founder of Soulwise Counseling.

I’ve always been curious about people—their thoughts, emotions, behaviors, contradictions. And in learning about them, my desire to help also grew. In college, I explored a few different majors, but eventually, I landed on psychology—the ultimate “why are we like this?” degree. What started as an interest in others gradually turned inward as well, and during my undergraduate education, I began my own therapy journey.

I went on to complete my Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Regis University. While attending grad school, I also worked at People House, a spiritually-integrated nonprofit that planted the early seeds of the work I now love: therapy that honors both psychology and soul.

After graduation, I began working at a group practice, primarily doing play therapy with children. While I don’t work with kids anymore, that experience deepened my understanding of how childhood experiences, family dynamics, and early relational wounds shape who we become as adults. It also gave me a lasting appreciation for the kinds of support we often needed then—and how powerful it can be to receive it now.

In 2023, I opened Soulwise Counseling—and was also diagnosed with ADHD that same year, with a fuller AuDHD realization unfolding soon after. That experience gave me puzzle pieces I didn’t even know were missing. Like many of my clients, I’ve come to recognize—especially in retrospect—that there were aspects of myself that weren’t fully understood or reflected back to me. There wasn’t language for neurodivergence in the way there is now, and I didn’t always have the tools or frameworks to make sense of my internal world. That gap shaped me, and in many ways, it led me to this work.

my approach

Therapy with me is collaborative, grounded, and affirming. I bring my full humanity into the room: thoughtful, sometimes gently challenging, often a little funny (we laugh more than you’d think), and always focused on creating a space where you can be your full self—no pressure, no expectations, just room to be where you are.

I blend clinical knowledge, lived experience, developmental theory, and spiritual exploration in a way that meets each client where they are. I believe you’re the expert in your own experience. My role is to sit beside you, reflect with you, and help you access the parts of yourself that already know the way forward.

Our work might involve exploring identity, relationships, burnout, masking, or the ways neurodivergence shows up across different areas of life. We might talk about inner child wounds, family dynamics, or how to support yourself in a world that wasn’t made for your brain. When it feels aligned, we can also weave in symbolic or meaning-making frameworks—like Jungian thought, existential and philosophical reflection, or maybe even a little astrology—to support deeper self-understanding.

Why I call it soulwise

Because I believe the wisdom you need is already within you—your soul is wise. You’ve just been taught to doubt it, override it, or over-explain it. This work is about coming back into relationship with that inner knowing, with humor, with gentleness, and with courage.

Also… I sometimes think of myself as the Samwise to your Frodo. Yes, I know it’s a little nerdy—but hear me out. Even when we have support, each of us carries our own version of the Ring. Therapy can be one of those rare places where you don’t have to carry it alone.

Trainings

Polyvagal Theory Applied to Neurodivergence, Neurodiversity-Affirming Psychotherapy Training Institute, 2025

Neurodiversity 101, Neurodiversity-Affirming Psychotherapy Training Institute, 2024

Trauma Focused CBT Training, National Children’s Alliance, 2023

Intro to ERP for Clinicians, Kairos Wellness Collective, 2022

Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Noeticus Counseling Center and Training Institute, 2021

Approved Clinical Supervisor Training (I,II, III), Noeticus Counseling Center and Training Institute, 2020

EMDR, Personal Transformation Institute, 2020

Certificate in Counseling Children and Adolescents, Regis University, 2019