Ellene Lammers, LCSW

Biography

Ellene Lammers is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with many years of experience working with individuals of all ages. She is in private practice in Vernon Hills, IL. Ellene provides discernment counseling for couples who are not sure if they should pursue a divorce or should work more intensely on pursuing their marriage. She also provides divorce coaching for couples who have chosen collaborative divorce or divorce mediation as opposed to those that have opted for litigation. The benefits of collaborative divorce and divorce mediation are many. Collaborative divorce coaching involves working with couples individually and collectively to deal with the emotional issues associated with a divorce. During the mediation process, Ellene functions as a third-party neutral to help the divorcing couple make the necessary decisions with guidance and support.

Ellene received her BS in Family Services and Sociology from Northern Illinois University. Ellene went on to receive a MSSW from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has been teaching communication skills in all of her previous positions. Ellene has been employed on an inpatient psychiatric unit, as well as an inpatient general medical unit in the past. She has also taught communication skills to parents and their children for the National Institute of Health (NIH). In addition, Ellene has worked with families experiencing many different types of crises including physical illness, psychiatric illness, and drug and alcohol abuse. Ellene has been a social work field instructor for both Loyola University and the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has received honors for her excellent teaching abilities. Within the field of divorce and discernment counseling, Ellene completed her Family and Divorce Mediation Training through DePaul University in 2012 and discernment counseling training in 2017. She has been a Shared Interest Group (SIG) leader for the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), is a Fellow and the leader of a practice group for the Collaborative Divorce Illinois (CDI), serves as a committee member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, and is a board member of the Mediation Council of Illinois. Ellene has also been accepted as a Family Mediator by the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Court in Lake County, Illinois. In October, 2019, she co-presented a workshop entitled "The Ethics of Collaborative Practice with Teammates Unknown and Well-Known" through the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals. She additionally functions as a coach through Northwestern University, teaching new mediators skills to facilitate the mediation process. Lastly she is a faculty member for CDI, helping prepare new classes of collaborative professionals.