ELIZABETH JAMES, MA Psy.
CAGS Urban Edu, Pastoral Counselor; Board Certified 2024, Drug & Alcohol Addiction Specialist, CAGS Behavioral Health, Wellness Coach, Advocate for sex trafficked children, Leadership Consultant


As a counselor who specializes in trauma, addictions, depression-anxiety, and ADHD, to name a few, Elizabeth is a passionate advocate for holistic well-being. She blends her expertise in psychology, neuropsychology, and education to create a transformative healing experience for her client. Her rich educational background brings a unique perspective to her work.

Elizabeth James' holistic approach transcends traditional boundaries, fostering healing at the intersection of neuropsychology, integrative education, and embodied wisdom. Her commitment to whole-person wellness makes her a beacon of hope for those seeking transformative change in all age groups crossing cultural barriers.

As a seasoned therapist with over 25 years of dedicated practice, her holistic approach combines evidence-based methods with complementary medicine rooted in her Christian faith. Here’s a glimpse into her wellness model:


EDUCATION

Bachelor of Science Psychology: neuropsychology; split brain study on corpus collosum
Masters in Psychology: Integrative Health Model 1999

Elizabeth James earned her master’s degree in psychology from Norwich University. Her studies delved into the intricacies of human behavior, cognition, and emotional well-being.

Focus on Neuropsychology

Master’s CAGS, in Urban Education

Elizabeth James holds a CAGS in Urban Education. This foundation equipped her to engage with clients holistically, considering their unique learning styles and needs: she reached a broad population range and worked for several months with a specialist LMHC whose clientele was mainly autism spectrum families. Elizabeth also enjoys working with gifted children, academic or creative.

Past certifications in cognitive behavioral therapies and her ongoing curiosity about the neurobiology of the relaxation response of the brain-body system have fostered life-long learning.

Elizabeth understands the complexity of collective psychology, our historical narratives & ideologies (religion/origin history). Entering Boston University within the University Professors Program with the then director a Fletcher School of Law and International policy leader, a think tank Socratic model of learning with minds such as Ellie Wiesel and leaders of Middle Eastern countries, then moving through the CLA then completing a year at Harvard University in comparative religious studies. Elizabeth studied the formation of the European union EEC as it was forming at the London School of Economics then completing a fifth and final year of study in the MET School of Boston University while giving birth after her last Harvard final to her beautiful daughter. Prolife is even more growth as a human being even more than a world class education: “nulla virtus maior quam vita parit.”

Evidenced-Based Coursework for Addiction Counseling CEU’s

Motivational Interviewing 2024
Trauma Focused ACT 2024


Board Certifications

NACC Board Certified Christian Pastoral Counselor 2024



Whole Person Approach

Private practice of over 25 years embodies an integrative, client-centered philosophy. She recognizes that true healing involves more than symptom management—it requires addressing the whole person.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."



Neurobiology Brain-Body Harmony

This term falls under "self-care" in addiction therapy. The focus is on balance and truthfulness.

Elizabeth recognizes the mind-body connection, specifically the neurobiology of addiction and the impact of substances

on the brain neurotransmitters

This suppresses the potential of the individual. Identifying these combines evidence-based cognitive-behavioral techniques with her new therapy, contemplative meditation; she directs the individual to harmonize with first, the mind so, when settled within the body once again, the body can re-order with integrity, ending a dis-at-ease state of both the mind and the body building a more holistic system – the clients deeply feel the impact.

One beneficial impact of this technique is a sense of deep peace and joy. This creates an environment for sufferers of insomnia, sadness, anxiousness, fatigue, and physical pain.

Elizabeth promotes constant reflection on thoughts and actions through counselor-guided journal-keeping. First, the outside triggers are identified, and the "body's thoughts" are expressed as pain or discomfort, racing hearts, etc.

This technique can reset the autonomic nervous system' "fight or flight" stress response: mindfulness. As an educator, she knows how to use scaffolding to train for deep breathing techniques, psalms, chant music, and "tone the body" to bring awareness to the inner silence, home to the soul.

Most of all, this process brings back a sense of self-control in treatment for the client, which the disease robbed them of when their bodies/brains were hijacked by substance use.

As a coach, she reminds everyone that their therapy is client-centered to be effective.


Mind-Body Integration
Client-Centered Cognitive Therapy Focus

Seamlessly blending mind and body approaches helps clients achieve balance and harmony. Ms. James empowers clients to tap into their innate healing capacities through mindfulness practices, breath work, or movement.

Music and Sound-vibrational toning the human body as an instrument: frequency tonality.

Ms. James leverages the therapeutic power of music and sound. From soothing melodies to rhythmic beats, these modalities enhance emotional well-being and promote relaxation.

Body-Centered Practice: She guides clients in reconnecting with their bodies. Individuals learn to listen to their physical sensations and emotions through somatic awareness and body-centered therapies. Vagal Toning, utilizing pressure points and breathwork, and exercising the vagus nerve, the longest nerve in the human body, deeply impact the nervous system. This is an absolute necessity for those with anxiety and symptoms of post-traumatic stress, or stress in the mind or body of any kind. The result is a very quick and profound transformation


Mind-Centered Practice

Counselor Elizabeth James also emphasizes cognitive strategies. By reshaping thought patterns and beliefs, clients gain resilience and clarity. Moving to build neural pathways going forward through neural plasticity rather than reinforcing the “old patterns” of thinking that trigger the VAT system and the happy hormones while rebuilding the hard drive of the brain/body system. This builds cooperatively with the vagus nerve treatment and complementary self-regulating breath work.

PROFESSIONAL


Christian Perspective

Elizabeth’s Journey began three decades ago, fueled by a passion for helping individuals. As a devout Christian who walks out her faith, Elizabeth believes that true healing encompasses the mind, body, and soul connected to the Creator. Her faith informs her practice, allowing her to address trauma, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, social phobias, weight issues, attention issues, family/marital discord, and particularly addiction from a holistic standpoint.

Drug Therapy Research

Trained as an alcohol and drug counselor and assisting those having trouble breaking free from addiction, Elizabeth has worked tirelessly to understand the complexities of substance abuse and its impact on mental,

, and spiritual well-being.

Complementary Medicines

Elizabeth’s curiosity led her beyond conventional therapies. She explored complementary modalities such as Bach flower essence, and spiritual direction/mindfulness practices such as Christian contemplative spiritually, directed prayer for one-to-one sessions, in her role as a counselor, most specifically the above and training as a pastoral counselor.

Elizabeth has had two very important spiritual directors on her journey who had ministries in healing and deliverance, and they mentored her under them for a time through their anointing. One with the gift of healing and deliverance, consecrated female to the Catholic church and two others. One was a world known for healing and deliverance and the other, a priest who worked alongside a Roman Catholic Cardinal.

These cooperating, both physically awareness’ and spiritual discernments, as integrative approaches enhance her clients’ healing journey to becoming whole human beings: mind, body and Soul the will is reorientated to its origin state and homeostasis returns or in lay terms: harmony, peace of mind and most of all PURPOSE on why they are here.

Medical Research Focus’

Elizabeth has done extensive research in natural remedies, most especially for opioid users with Ibogain therapies. Well-known therapeutic hospitals in Portugal and Latin American rehabilitative centers have had significant success with this natural plant from the Iboga plant, native to Africa. Ibogain is a derivative of the “Iboga” plant from Africa and has been used by the indigenous people there for over hundreds of years. This research has been ongoing at MGH Massachusetts General Hospital, and a Dr. Grinspoon will be doing more this year in Boston, MA.




ELIZABETH JAMES WELLNESS MODEL


Spiritual Foundation

Elizabeth encourages clients to draw strength from their faith. She integrates prayer, meditation, and scripture into therapy sessions. Connecting with a higher purpose

provides hope and resilience.

Elizabeth’s sessions are a relaxing, calming, and safe space where clients explore emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations and often long-held profound spiritual experiences.

Elizabeth is an educator at heart and fosters further cognitive growth or “cognitive behavioral restructuring” from habitual language and “self-thought talk,” which ultimately lowers the self-esteem of the individual. These bad habits often begin in childhood. It takes time to undo prior habits and look from the opposite viewpoint.


Complementary Approaches

Elizabeth has collaborated with skilled acupuncturists to address cravings, anxiety, and pain.

Herbal/Floral Remedies

She educates clients about natural supplements and unique light vibrational systems (researched red-light therapy) that enhance our cellular activity (apoptosis-cell removal of waste and rebuilding) positively, naturally supporting balance and, in some address cellular health and emotional well-being if one suffers from depression and anxiety with their addiction; known as a comorbidity. Complementing with the micro level of vibrational medicine for the emotional fields & physical neurochemical triggers, such as music tonality, self-toning

Contemplative Prayer/Mindfulness

Guided mindfulness exercises help clients stay present and manage triggers. Those with chronic stress suffer from what is called “catastrophic thinking,” unrealistic predicting of adverse outcomes from circumstances perceived as undesirable. In the AA group model, this would be better known by the term” stinking thinking.” This cycle of addiction leads all too often to adverse outcomes from self-fulfilling prophecies of past behaviors that led to the addictions or disharmony within the client’s family and other significant relationships.

Community and Support

Elizabeth emphasizes the power of community. Group therapy, church involvement, and support networks are vital in

support networks are vital in recovery: “We’re stronger together,” and “Pray for the strength to love,” - utilizing forgiveness for healing always. Elizabeth has had models for adolescents and children involved with advocacy for children of human trafficking in NYC. She has advocated for the most marginalized in the Western world and come against the worst of politics, disguised as working for humanity; however, in the underpinning, it is pure evil These began in the early 1990s



Grace and Redemption

Elizabeth’s Christian FAITH infuses her work with compassion.
She believes in redemption and second chances.

Her favorite verse, Romans 8:1, reminds clients: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

The Sacraments are a must in her personal faith walk, as they feed her with the Will of the One True Love’s grace, the energies from the essence of the Divine Creator, one God: Father, Son (Yeshua/Jesus Christ) and Holy Spirit.

Beyond Addiction to Harmonious Living

Elizabeth’s impact extends beyond addiction treatment. She advocates for mental health awareness, hosts workshops, and gives seminars on wellness, fasting, and nutrition. Her dedication transforms lives—one prayer, session, and step toward healing at a time; only through guidance and submission to the Holy Spirit of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

IN SUMMARY

Ms. James began her own journey compassionately teaching in both a school and residential program for children with severe autism and has grown in her own journey with a vision of the future. One example of this is training and homeschooling her own daughter, now thirty, in a hybrid technological academic program. Adding to her community, she is organizing a nonprofit for young women in performing arts, WOW Women on Wellness, and advocating for the most marginalized children those who are being sex trafficked, PACT People Against Child Trade.

LICENSES

Mass Teaching License Health & Wellness 2023
Board Certified Pastoral Counseling -National Association 2024
LADAC 1 Alcohol and Drugs Addiction Counseling License 2024

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS

WIPP Women Impacting People & Politics
Ivy League Association
Holy Name Society
National Leadership Association - Presidential Member
National Association of Christian Ministers

PRIOR MEMBERSHIPS

APA - American Psychological Association
NACC – National Association of Christian Counselors