Elaine Hernandez-Cordova

Founder of Embrace Psychotherapy and Education & Behavioral Health Leader

Elena Hernandez-Cordova, LCSW, is a psychotherapist, behavioral health leader, educator, writer, and founder of Embrace Psychotherapy & Education, an integrative group psychotherapy and teaching practice. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker in New York and New Jersey, she brings more than 20 years of experience across clinical practice, behavioral health leadership, substance use and recovery, program development, supervision, advocacy, and community-based social work.

Her clinical interests include trauma and PTSD, relationships and family systems, identity formation, grief and loss, anxiety, substance use, emotional intelligence, and integrative mental health. Her approach draws from evidence-informed and experiential modalities including CBT, DBT, Motivational Interviewing, mindfulness, yoga therapy, trauma-informed practice, and relational approaches.
Elena’s work also extends beyond the therapy room. She has developed behavioral health and recovery programs, supervised emerging professionals and MSW interns, and collaborated with healthcare, community, justice-system, and first-responder organizations. She is the co-developer and presenter of Mind on the Frontline and Love on the Frontline, educational programs exploring PTSD, occupational trauma, mental health, communication, intimacy, and relationships within first-responder communities.

Currently pursuing a PhD in Integrative Social Work at Saybrook University, Elena’s scholarly interests include identity, cultural humility, decolonizing approaches to social work, technology and ethics, and the intersection of personal healing and larger social systems.

As a Latin-American transracial adoptee and member of the LGBTQIA+ community, Elena brings lived experience into conversation with clinical knowledge and scholarship. Her writing explores the complicated spaces where identity, trauma, relationships, culture, resilience, and healing meet.
At the center of her work is a simple belief: emotional intelligence is intelligence. Understanding ourselves, connecting meaningfully with others, and learning to navigate emotion matter every bit as much as what we know.