About Dr. Ellen Astrachan-Fletcher

As a licensed clinical psychologist, I’m bringing with me 15 years in academia and 13 years with a large mental health organization. These experiences have shaped my approach, but at the heart of it all, my passion remains the same—connection. Whether working with clients, students, supervisees, or training groups, I believe real growth happens through meaningful relationships.

My path to psychology started early. Growing up as the youngest of four, with three older brothers, I learned firsthand about different personalities and perspectives. My father, a psychiatrist, sparked my initial interest in the field, and my own life experiences reinforced my desire to help others navigate their journeys. Today, my mother—now a great-grandmother of six—continues to be a guiding presence in my life.

For over 30 years, my husband and I have built a life together, embracing challenges, change, and growth. Our three grown children remain some of my favorite people in the world, and our home wouldn’t be complete without our enthusiastic dog, Nugget, and playful kitten, Aurora, who remind me daily of joy, patience, and unconditional love.

What fulfills me? Connection. Whether through time with family and friends, engaging with my community, or supporting clients on their paths to self-discovery, meaningful relationships are at the core of who I am—both as a person and as a psychologist. I also find inspiration in travel, photography, and exploring new cultures, all of which deepen my understanding of human nature and the many ways we seek growth and healing.

Areas of Expertise & Passion:

  • Clinical Psychology & Mental Health

  • Family Dynamics & Relationships

  • Personal Growth & Resilience

  • Emotional Well-Being & Connection

Professional Bio:

Ellen Astrachan-Fletcher, PhD, FAED, CEDS-S, is an internationally recognized expert in understanding and treating mood, anxiety, and eating disorders. She is a Lecturer at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago where she has taught and supervised Psychiatry residents and fellows as well as Clinical Psychology interns and externs for over three decades.

Dr. Astrachan-Fletcher has worked with countless patients and people seeking advice on a variety of topics, from mental healthcare such as helping those in your family deal with loved family members who have had trauma and diagnosable mental health issues, to general counseling on how to better interact with your family, how to understand and avoid being reactive to others and activating others, and dealing with issues of enormous family legacy and wealth.

Dr. Astrachan-Fletcher is a senior RO DBT (Radically Open Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) clinician, is a nationally recognized expert in the field of DBT and FBT (Family-Based Treatment), and frequently presents at national eating disorders conferences. Dr. Astrachan-Fletcher has co-authored The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook for Bulimia: Using DBT to Break the Cycle and Regain Control of Your Life (2009), and she co-authored the Radically Open DBT Workbook for Eating Disorders: From Overcontrol and Loneliness to Recovery and Connection (2022). Both workbooks are used in treatment centers throughout the country.

My Specialities:

Clinical Specialties:

  • Eating Disorders

  • Women’s Mental Health

  • Transdiagnostic and Biotemperamental Approaches (DBT and RO DBT)

  • Anxiety in adults and adolescents

  • Depression in adults and adolescents

  • Family Systems

Supervision Specialties:

  • Eating Disorders (CEDS-C)

  • Women’s Mental Health

  • Transdiagnostic and Biotemperamental Approaches

    • Dialectical Behavior Therapy

    • Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy

  • Anxiety in adults and adolescents

  • Depression in adults and adolescents

Training Specialties:

Clinical Trainings Available in person or virtually

  • Eating Disorders (CEDS-C)

  • Women’s Mental Health

  • Transdiagnostic and Biotemperamental Approaches

    • Dialectical Behavior Therapy

    • Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy

  • Anxiety in adults and adolescents

  • Depression in adults and adolescents

  • Family Systems

My Books:

Using DBT to Break the Cycle and Regain Control of Your Life (A New Harbinger Self-Help Workbook)

At the root of bulimia is a need to feel in control. While purging is a strategy for controlling weight, bingeing is an attempt to calm depression, stress, shame, and even boredom. The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook for Bulimia offers new and healthy ways to overcome the distressing feelings and negative body-image beliefs that keep you trapped in this cycle. Learn More

If you’ve been in therapy for an eating disorder, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia, your past treatment may have focused on helping you control your emotions and contain your behaviors. However, research now shows that many people with eating disorders actually suffer from emotional overcontrol. Based on more than twenty years of research, this breakthrough workbook offers skills based in radically open dialectical behavior therapy (RO DBT), a proven-effective, transdiagnostic approach for treating disorders of overcontrol (OC). Learn More

For more information on Ellen’s work in Radically Open DBT please visit this link:

Ellen Astrachan-Fletcher | Radically Open

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Family Photo 1970’s

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