Elena Nazario is a licensed clinical social worker with over two decades of experience providing compassionate, evidence-based care to individuals and families navigating complex medical and behavioral health challenges. Fluent in both English and Spanish, Elena brings a culturally sensitive approach to her work, integrating trauma-informed practices and strength-based interventions into every aspect of her clinical care.

Elena specializes in providing psychosocial support to oncology patients and their family members. Elena’s work in oncology has spanned pediatrics through geriatrics, though the adolescent and young adult (AYA) community has remained her area of particular expertise. In addition to counseling and support to assist patients and their families in coping with a cancer diagnosis, treatment and related side-effects, and survivorship concerns, Elena provides grief and bereavement counseling, as well as assistance with end-of-life decision-making.

She has been an active member of multiple hospital ethics committees and has led numerous trainings and presentations on the psychosocial impact of cancer, special considerations within the AYA oncology community, ethical issues and fertility preservation, cancer in the Active Duty service member, coping with the fear of recurrence and other survivorship worries, and cultural and ethical issues at the end-of-life.

In addition, Elena serves on the Board of Directors for the KFG Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing free professional coaching services and respite for cancer-affected patients, caregivers, and their families.