Dr. Ellis is a leading expert in the use of somatic approaches in psychotherapy, and specializes in the use focusing for treating PTSD and complex trauma. She earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, with a specialization in somatic approaches to therapy. Her dissertation on using focusing-oriented therapy to treat PTSD for refugees with recurrent nightmares won the Ernest Hartmann award from the International Association for the Study of Dreams in 2015.