CREDENTIALS
Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology- California Institute of Integral Studies 2017
Bachelor of Arts- UC Santa Barbara 2009
About Me
When I was a child and people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I answered “a therapist.” I was an empath and loved people, so before I even understood what the role entailed, I sensed that this path would suit me. If we fast forward 25 years- a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist is ultimately what I became. At a brief glance this could look like a straightforward path, but it hasn’t been.
At points I detoured pretty far from who that 7 year old knew herself to be. Instead I followed what I thought ‘looked good’ and would be valued by my family of doctors and lawyers or society. This led me to law school after college (though at the time I couldn’t answer one genuine sentence about why I wanted to be there). Needless to say, that path was wrong for me, and I white-knuckled that whole first year while batting away the voices telling me it was all wrong for me, which was one of the hardest things I’ve ever asked of myself.
After a year of misery and much turmoil in navigating the choice to stay or go, at the end of that first year I courageously walked away.
I asked myself from that day forward “If law school isn’t me, then who am I?” That question has since become my north star and I’ve been answering it every day since.
It began with yoga first as a way to slow down my nervous system. From there, I began moving towards every activity and interest that could help me get to know myself. This included: workshops, meditation, movement, and immersing myself in music and art.
I moved towards work in education and community mental health in San Francisco before going back to school to become a therapist. There have been many shifts, but brick by brick I have laid the foundation of something truer, more alive, and more aligned for me- a life that I love that feels like mine.
Though it was highly impractical with the state by state license licenses, after becoming a therapist I moved cities twice on intuition alone. I hadn’t explored much outside of my home state of California in my younger years, and I knew I needed chapters immersing in the ‘nature bath’ that is Colorado and in the ‘culture bath’ that is NYC.
In 2024, I rebranded from Elizabeth Sklar Gilbert (Liz Gilbert) to Frankie Ellie Sklar. It was prompted by two things at the same time: 1) a longtime nickname Frankie entered my everyday and I loved the spunky feel of it, and 2) I began working on some writing and creative projects and I wanted to differentiate myself from longtime role model Elizabeth Gilbert (Author of 'Eat, Pray, Love').
In 2025, I switched my offering from therapy to coaching. I decided it was an even better umbrella to fit my client work and life today.
Such is the journey for a “glimmer follower”(my term for someone who listens to those flickers of intuition and lets them be their guiding force directionally in life).
My journey has been one of unbinding myself - releasing old frameworks at each juncture and stepping into what’s freer now. I love my client work and am passionate about it because I have lived it.
When not with clients, I can be found: in nature with my pup Oreo, hula hooping, dancing, telling stories at The Moth NYC, enjoying time with friends and family, attending witchy Jewish events, or at art and culture events.
I’m smitten that you’ve made it to my page and this far- I’m looking forward to connecting with you.
