Ellen Lee Alderton grew up in Greece, Jordan, and the United States. She has lived, worked, and studied in nine countries, learning six foreign languages in the process, and has spent 13 years overseas. Her work abroad has included writing and leading training programs for the United Nations in Austria, serving as a journalist in Belgium, and teaching English in Bolivia. American international and multicultural organizations she has worked with include the Peace Corps, Hispanic Communications Network, and Hispanic Access Foundation.
Ellen has spearheaded numerous mental health projects in the United States including designing the curriculum for the National Consumer Supporter Technical Assistance Center, overseeing the National Mental Health Voter Empowerment Campaign, launching a multi-site cultural competency initiative for Mental Health America, executive-producing a mass media campaign for Hispanic Communications Network reaching 90% of all U.S. Spanish-language radio listeners, and designing a congregational initiative for Hispanic Access Foundation which will result in faith leaders nationwide learning Mental Health First Aid.
While living in Vienna, Austria in the 1990s, Ellen had the opportunity to learn Alfred Adler’s previously unpublished technique of early memory interpretation from an American expatriate, Conrad Kaplan. She later spent three days meeting with Kaplan’s mentor, Edith Foster, a personal student of Alfred Adler. Ellen’s book, Soul Metaphors, explains Adler’s method of early memory interpretation using numerous case studies and examples and tying the method to Adler’s insightful theory of personality.
Ellen received her B.A. in psychology from Wellesley College and her M.A. in international relations from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
Soul Metaphors 