In 1990, Ellen Kornetsky hosted friends from Russia for the holidays. When she asked what they thought of their visit, her friend replied, “Everything here is very nice. But there is no joy in your lives.” She realized he was right—Ellen spent so much time worrying about the pressure and competition of her current job and not enough doing what she loved.
Inspired to explore volunteering, she then spent four years as a “buddy” to a young man diagnosed with AIDS. Together, these two experiences reaffirmed Ellen’s passion for helping others.
“I realized I wanted to use my skills to ease people’s burdens,” she says. “I’ve never found work so fulfilling.” At age 41, her career journey took a 180, and she began University of New England’s MSW program.
Though she initially specialized in attachment and permanency issues for children and families, Ellen’s expertise expanded to encompass other relational and mental health challenges. She helps clients understand their trauma history, rewrite their personal narratives, gain self-esteem, and acquire a sense of mastery.
With her growing skillset, in 2013, she decided to shift to private practice. But doing so came with its own challenges.
As a social worker, Ellen wanted to dedicate her working hours to helping others. Dealing with the back end of running a business would drain the time and energy she needed to support clients. That’s why she joined Spurwink’s affiliate program—to get the billing and technical support she needed while focusing on meeting her clients’ emotional needs.
“I never tire of helping parents understand the deeper emotional needs behind their child’s objectionable, confounding behavior and breaking their family’s entrenched negative relational patterns,” Ellen describes. In the 13 years she’s practiced on her own, she has “found even more fulfillment than ever before.”
In addition to billing support, Spurwink’s affiliate program has given Ellen the chance to connect with other private practitioners and access to clinical consultation, enabling her to continuously learn and grow. During moments of frustration with technology, Spurwink’s support staff has always eased her concerns and made her feel welcome.
Though her career path wasn’t linear, driven by her passion and supported by our staff, Ellen sees herself continuing to practice for as long as she can. “The joy I feel at seeing people blossom and believe in themselves,” she says, “is what has prevented me from retiring.”
Interested in joining Spurwink as an affiliate provider? Reach out to our team at affiliateinfo@spurwink.org or visit spurwink.org/affiliates.
