Elena Zagarskas, Psy. D.
Dr. Zagarskas provides therapy and formal assessment for children and adults ages 5 and up. Areas of assessment include intellectual and learning abilities, memory, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), major mood disorders, and personality functioning. She is experienced in treating mood disorders (depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder), grief/loss, trauma, eating disorders among adults, personality dysfunction, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorder.
Elena’s treatment approach is integrative with a foundation in existential psychology and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). She also frequently uses skills and approaches from dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), motivational interviewing (MI), and psychodynamic theory. A deep value for social justice underlies her focus in which individual differences are explored and appreciated. Elena also welcomes the use of creative arts in sessions for those interested.
Dr. Zagarskas earned her bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College in Ohio, her master’s degree from Gannon University in Erie, PA, and her doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology from Carlow University in Pittsburgh, PA. She has worked in a variety of mental health settings since 2007.
Personal Quote
"Challenges to maintaining wellness come at various ages and times in our lives. These challenges can become opportunities to discover more of our authentic selves, develop greater resilience, and create more balance. The process of this growth itself is unique and incredibly meaningful for each of us." - Elena Zagarskas, Psy. D.
Contact
Position:
Counseling Psychologist
Address:
8224 Mentor Ave, Suite 208
Mentor Ohio 44060
Email:
ezagarskas@behavioralwellnessgroup.com
Phone:
440-392-2222 EXT 409
Fax:
440-565-2349
Testimonials/Reviews
Testimonial Disclosure Statement: Testimonials herein are unsolicited, anonymous and are received after care has been received in an attempt to assure healthy therapy relationships and confidentiality.
"Dr. Zagarskas was amazing! Aftercare Program was much needed….Follow up with patients and the level of care you provide… giving patients practical skills to use to help with mental health issues."
Dr. Glovan, Health and Wellness IOP; Dr. Zagarskas, Individual Therapist; Katie Petrochic, Adult Aftercare Program) "I miss everyone in IOP! I believe you have given me so much opportunity to grow and learn! Thank You so much for all that you have done for me! Aftercare is going well after the first visit. My 1:1 sessions with Dr. Elena (Zagarskas) are also going really well! Setting my world up the way I want it to feedback to me is an ongoing effort! But yes, I am determined to continue to grow and learn with whatever life throws at me! I believe you have an amazing program/practice with an incredible team! Keep being true to you! I love what you are, what you stand for, and what you potentially do into the future! I promise I won’t be a stranger!"
"Hi Dr. G, I hope you are doing well! I do miss you and The Health and Wellness Intensive Outpatient Program! I continue to apply all of your teachings as I move through life! Dr. Elena Zagarskas has been a blessing to me as well. She definitely points out my blind spots, which I’m so grateful for. I’m also wishing and sending the rest of your amazing team my utmost respect...They all have touched my life in a way that is priceless."
Articles
Improving Your Well-Being: Positive Psychology and The PERMA Model
Positive psychology, despite what many think, is not about trying to rid your life of stressors. Positive psychology acknowledges that life can be stressful at times but seeks to improve well-being and build resilience to better manage the stressors of life. Simply put, positive psychology is the study of what makes a life worth living! Positive psychology focuses in on your strengths, instead of weaknesses, as well as building a good life and moving people from merely surviving, to thriving….
The Bloodline Divorce: What is it? Why Does it Happen? – How to Cope
Family estrangement, simply put, is a loss or a termination of a relationship that previously existed between family members. An estrangement can occur between two people or multiple family members. An estrangement can occur between a parent and a child, sibling to sibling, a child to a parent or grandparent, or any combination you can imagine. Family estrangements can occur at any age. Estrangements in young adults are most common, however, as this is when a person is more financially…
Navigating End of Semester Stress
“Ugh, I have so many final exams to study for. I have to pack for winter break too and still maintain taking care of my health”. This is often one of the many thoughts college students experience as the end of the semester approaches. The words “finals week” and “stress” are almost always used in the same sentence during this tough time of the semester. Although there are many stressors among college students such as finances, living on their own…
“I WAS TRYING TO ACT NORMAL…”
I heard this piece of a conversation between two friends as I jogged by them in the park the other day, “I was trying to act normal…” Then I passed them but not without being prompted to consider what that really means. So many of us appear “normal” or even beautiful, talented and rich such as the late Kate Spade. Yet many of us struggle with fitting in, appearing normal or masking our struggles. I facilitate the mental health, Dialectical…
Ten DBT Techniques for Anxiety
Anxiety can be divided into two basic areas, as first discussed by Sigmund Freud “Appropriate and Inappropriate Stress”. Anxiety can occur over situations or threats that occur and cause our brain to go into “Fight or Flight” syndrome. This is when the sympathetic or limbic system becomes aroused and creates many symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, nervous feelings, panic feeling, sweating, shortness of breath, and many other well-known symptoms. This can also occur when a situation is a real threat…
Annual IOP Statistics Summary 2022
AREAS OF STRENGTH: • 100% of reviewed charts had ROI’s filled out and signed. This is an increase from 2021.• 100% of reviewed files had family involvement from start to finish or family involvement was offered to the IOP participant.• Overall, the total average of Quality-of-Life Scores was 3.6, meeting the goal of 3.6. This has been maintained from 2021.• Noticeably Improved Depression (53%) and Anxiety (51%) scores on average across all IOPs on empirically based measures. This is an…