Employee Feature: Ellie Gutzke

Discovery Ranch for Girls (DRG) is happy to welcome Ellie Gutzke to our therapeutic community. Ellie has a Master’s degree of Clinical Social Work from Michigan State University. She has previous experience working at a domestic violence shelter for women and children. In addition, Ellie has experience working in individual and group therapy settings, and working residential treatment settings.

A Lifelong Passion

Ellie has had a passion for helping others her entire life. Her experience in the helping profession began with her mother’s hoarding clean-out business. Before she completed the education required to become a therapist, Ellie worked with her mother to help individuals and families with compulsive hoarding. The business also provided a clean-out service and aftercare services including life coaching and maintenance strategies. Many years of experience helping this population contributed to her desire and motivation to pursue a Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work and become a therapist.

While working as a primary therapist at a residential treatment program for adolescents with eating disorders, Ellie developed a strong passion for working with teens. Out of curiosity, she decided to explore other residential treatment programs for adolescents in different areas of the country. Discovery Ranch for Girls stood out to her.

Making Connections

Outside of work, Ellie loves to explore new places with her husband. She especially enjoys outdoor recreation activities such as hiking, kayaking, mountain biking, and camping. She spends as much time as she can with friends and family. Creating genuine connections is important to Ellie. So, she also enjoys meeting new people and creating new friendships.

As a therapist, Ellie utilizes therapeutic modalities including Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. Generally, she pulls bits and pieces from these various modalities and tailors her therapeutic approach to each individual client. She adapts these modalities based on their presenting issues, their needs, and therapeutic goals.

Above all, Ellie Gutzke is a caring professional with a big heart. DRG looks forward to the contributions that she will make to our community.