Those with emotional or behavioral problems need good mental health care. Centers like The Ely Center are trusted and provide the support that can give individuals the tools needed to build emotional muscles and improve the quality of their life.
Ely Center is top of the line in mental and behavior therapy. They offer speech-language therapy, mental health therapy, social skills groups, occupational therapy etc.
They take a person-centric approach to their methods, producing treatment plans based on the specific needs and goals of each client. Read more to learn what you can expect from them.
About The Ely Center

The Ely Center, LLC is a place where neurodiverse individuals of all ages can find support, guidance, and practical tools to navigate daily life with confidence.
They specialize in speech therapy, mental health counseling, and occupational therapy, focusing on social communication and emotional well-being.
Their approach is all about meeting people where they are — whether individually, in group sessions or through caregiver training — and helping them build on their strengths.
They help to create a warm and inviting environment where clients can build their language processing, executive function, sensory integration, and social emotional skills in ways that are meaningful and make sense for them.
They know that with the right support and encouragement, each person can grow, connect, and thrive — and they want to help them do just that.
Their mission is to help each one become the best version of themselves while feeling understood, valued, and empowered.
Mental Health Counseling Services At The Ely Center
The Ely Center provides several mental health counseling services to those individuals and families with emotional, behavioral and mental health challenges. Their services include:
1. Speech and Language Therapy
Speech and language therapy, at The Ely Center, is as simple as enabling people to get better at more clear and confident communication in regular life.
That could be trouble massaging thoughts, getting out the words, reading social cues, all of it, and their speech-language pathologists, licensed, who help take those challenges and turn them into strengths and give the individual that tailored support to build those crucial skills.”
For those who need more specific help, they offer individualized sessions to improve speech, language and communication skills. This is great for those who are not ready to work in a group or need more self-regulation and expression of what they need support with.
They also host small social communication groups where clients can gain real life conversation experience, body language awareness, and emotional regulation while increasing their confidence in social situations.
They work with families, schools and employers to make sure that people get the right support throughout all areas of life.
This includes (but is not limited to) school visits; job coaching; and support for caregivers within the community to help create a welcoming and caring environment.
2. Occupational Therapy
The Ely Center’s Occupational Therapy (OT) program ~assists individuals in acquiring the skills necessary to perform daily living activities with more ease.
OT supports people in schools, home, and community settings, working on coordination, fine and gross motor skills, sensory processing, and emotional regulation skills to enable people to feel more confident and independent.
Therapists focus on fine and gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination and muscle strength so that tasks such as writing, buttoning clothes or playing sports can be less taxing.
But they are also a boon for those with sensory challenges, attention difficulties and self-regulatory needs, using approaches such as Zones of RegulationⓇ to teach emotional and behavioral growth.
“This OT program builds important skills that help individuals focus better and feel more confident about their capabilities, making daily tasks easier, and more joyful
3. Mental Health Counseling
The Ely Center offers mental health counseling to people to help them cope with common emotional, social and behavioral problems in a caring and supportive environment.
Through detailed advice, they engage in personalized care, allowing them to expel emotions, and processes and enhance overall well-being.
In one-on-one counseling, children and teens get specialized attention and learn how to develop confidence and resilience as they navigate life’s ups and downs.
There’s also support for people who want help communicating better, and making friends and connections in school, at work and in social settings.
Family coaching and consultation can help parents and caregivers as they build communication skills with their kids, navigate family dynamics and support a child’s social-emotional development.
Counselors also assist families with school issues, including the IEP process, to ensure children receive the support necessary.
For more therapy options, try BetterHelp. Fully knowing how beneficial it is, they offer a variety of options for individual therapy, couples therapy, LGBTQ+ support, and even faith-based counseling so you can receive the help you deserve.
4. SCHOOL-BASED SERVICES PROVIDE CONSULTATIVE SERVICES
Ely provides school-based consultative services to assist students with speech, language, and mental health needs in their setting.
They deliver therapy and counseling right in the middle of the school day, liaising closely with teachers and staff to ensure students receive the help they need.
The team addresses areas such as language development, social-emotional skills, self-regulation, and executive function so these students can thrive academically and socially, said Dr. Kates.
The Ely Center adapts to the needs of individual students with tailored approaches that make this work feel like real-world engagement with our local educators—through one-on-one sessions, group work, and real-time consultations with educators who are closely involved with each student’s progress, they take a hands-on approach to ensure their success in school and beyond.
Mental Health Staff Members of The Ely Center

The mental health team at The Ely Center is made up of caring professionals who are committed to supporting individuals and families. They offer a variety of services to improve emotional well-being, social skills, and overall mental health.
Some of the team members include:
1. Pamela Ely
Pamela Ely, M.S. CCC-SLP is the Owner and Director of The Ely Center, LLC, a seasoned Speech-Language Pathologist with 25+ years of experience.
Pamela focuses on individuals experiencing issues with social language skills and collaborates with schools and families to facilitate social communication and academic performance.
She also trains staff and parents about how to support social learning and executive function skills. Pamela has taught courses on Social Disorders and Autism, and enjoys family time, traveling, drinking coffee, and visiting the beach.
2. Max Martins
In 2022, Max Martins became the Director of Operations at The Ely Center, LLC. Andrew holds a B.S. in Exercise Science from Skidmore College and has a background in client success, team leadership, and process management.
Max keeps things running smoothly and contributes to enhancing the center’s offering for clients and staff.
3. Sean Sweeney
Sean Sweeney, M.S., M.ED., CCC-SLP is the Program Coordinator at The Ely Center, LLC and has been with the team since 2003. Sean specializes in telepractice and technology integration in therapy, and he writes the blog SpeechTechie.
4. Cate Barclay
Cate Barclay is a licensed educational psychologist specializing in supporting children and teens for anxiety, depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Autism and other mental health difficulties.
Cate has experience in the use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as well as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and employs a strengths-based approach in her work. She also guides parents through the special education process and offers parent coaching.
Cate has experience working with LGBTQIA+ youth in particular transgender youth and is passionate about supporting middle school students to thrive.
5. Aiden Caplan
Aiden Caplan, LICSW-ASDCS — is a licensed social worker with a Master’s in Social Work from Boston University. His background includes working with children, teens, and adults with autism, ADHD, anxiety, depression, selective mutism, and more.
From a client-centred perspective, Supports anxiety, social skills, self-esteem, and family dynamics. His work also includes parent coaching and support groups to support families.
6. Sophie Doherty
Sophie Doherty is a Speech-Language Pathologist and Social Cognitive Specialist, RECE with a Master’s in Speech Language Pathology from Regis College.
Through her experience working with children and young adults on the autism spectrum, she developed a passion for social cognition.
7. Shannon Leavenworth
Shannon Leavenworth is a pre-licensed mental health counselor who has worked with children, teens, adults, and families.
She writes about helping people leverage their strengths, create better relationships, and find happiness. Shannon is person-centred and trained in CBT, mindfulness, and creative activities such as art and games.
She works with people struggling with anxiety, depression, PTSD, ASD, ADHD and learning disorders, often specializing in helping LGBTQIA+ youth and their families.
Want to know more about mental health services, check these out:
- Clark Community Mental Health Center: Caring for You
- Baton Rouge Behavioral Hospital: Compassionate Care
- Expert Care at 3 Rivers Mental Health Solutions
Rates & Payments Information
Payments are made securely via credit card at the Ely Center, and therapy is available in person or via teletherapy.
Fees vary depending on the service type, and all payments are automatically processed on the day of your session.
Service Fees:
- Individual Therapy: $150 per session
- Individual Speech, Language & Occupational Therapy: $200-$225 per session
- Mental Health Counseling: $200-$225 for 50-minute session
- Consultations (Office, School, Job Coaching): $180-250 per hour.
For Individual & Group Therapy You must cancel at least 24 hours in advance to not be charged. Late cancellations will be charged 50 per cent of the session fee, and no-shows or last-minute cancellations (within 2 hours) will be charged in full.
For Mental Health Counseling Cancellations must be made at least 24 hours prior to the appointment via both phone and email to avoid being charged.
There are no credits for missed classes and the intake fee is non-refundable.
Address and Contact Information
Ely Center located at 140 Gould St., Suite 290
Needham, MA 02494…You can contact them through their mail at [email protected]
And phone number at 781-400-2605.