​ Mary Ellen Lemieux, JD, LCSW
​ Mary Ellen Lemieux, JD, LCSW
​Family & Individual Therapist
Licensed in California, Colorado and Utah
Contact:
650-346-7698
Offices:
518 Hamilton Ave
Palo Alto, CA 94301
1600 Pine Grove Rd. #103
Steamboat Springs, CO 80487
Welcome!
Welcome!
I am​ a licensed clinical social worker (or LCSW) specializing in individuals and families. I have expertise in repairing damaged or broken relationships, understanding how past traumas impact current experiences, and perhaps most importantly, providing you with a sense of well-being as you navigate your current stage of life.
Within the community, I am most well-known as a family therapist with extensive experience providing no-nonsense parent support and/or relationship repair between high conflict coparents, parents and struggling teens or young adults. I am known for getting results on hard cases, and converting avowed therapy skeptics to engaged participants.
I also routinely assist families navigating wilderness therapy or residential treatment for their struggling teen or young adult child. With deep personal and professional experience, I can help you assess whether your child can remain safely at home, requires a higher level of care in an out-of-home setting, or something in between such as mentoring or intensive outpatient therapy. I also provide "aftercare" and parent support to families once their teen or young adult completes treatment, in order to facilitate an authentic and successful transition home.
Additionally, I work with many families with LGBTQIA+ teens who may be experiencing gender dysphoria, depression, anxiety, family alienation, school refusal or social challenges. With compassion and knowledge, I can help you sort out this unexpected, but not uncommon, change of destination on your parenting journey.
The bulk of my practice, however, is working individually with adults of all ages, seeking support navigating a change in circumstances, be it divorce, an empty nest, relationship discord, early career job stress. I also work with many individuals seeking to understand how trauma they experience growing up influences their personal and professional adult relationships.
With humor and a relaxed demeanor, I can promise a warm and insightful meeting each time. A social worker by training, I take a practical approach to therapy and will likely recommend books, podcasts and resources to explore. I might even give you the name of my dog trainer.
I currently split my time between the San Francisco Bay Area and Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and have physical offices in both places. I see many of my clients via telehealth.
If you believe your child or teen may be heading toward a crisis, I can help you make that assessment and figure out next steps, including referrals to others. If you believe you or a family member is in crisis and may be a danger to themselves or others, please dial 988 or go to your nearest emergency room.