Elena Mansour

It all started when, I REALIZED that external achievement doesn't always lead to inner peace and happiness.

In my younger years, I focused on getting a solid education and have a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with a minor in Psychology from Boston University and a Masters in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School. Over the years, I worked as an administrator in the non-profit and local government sector working on the issues of homelessness and affordable housing. Then, after some significant challenges in my late-20s, I chose to spend a year volunteering at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Lenox, MA where I became a yoga teacher and received a certificate in Positive Psychology. It was at that time that my life started to change, as I dove deeply into the teachings of yoga and experienced a year of living at a retreat center. That year had a profound impact on me, as I was introduced to the teachings of self-awareness, self-kindness and self-care.

Now, I have dedicated my life to practices that bring healing and inner peace such as counseling, yoga, walks in nature, creating art, self-compassion, and meditation. I also returned to graduate school to get a second masters degree and specifically study how people heal. Towards that end, In 2022, I graduated from Lenoir-Rhyne University where I completed a Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Since then, I completed my internship at Helpmate, a local non-profit in Asheville that focuses on domestic violence. In 2023, I worked at a partial hospitalization program, Tapestry Health in Asheville. I currently have an Associate counseling license and focus on trauma, depression, anxiety, PTSD and other mental health concerns.

I live in Asheville, NC where I enjoy the beautiful mountain air. I enjoy traveling and spending time with my large extended family. My travels have taken me on the Holistic Holiday at Sea cruise, to the Hippocrates Health Institute, to the Esalen Institute, to Sivananda Ashrams in India and the Bahamas, the Omega Institute, the Blue Lagoon in Iceland and to 34 different countries. I enjoy meeting people from around the world and learning about their country’s culture, history, food and language.