Nell received masters degrees in both social work and religious ethics, from Yeshiva and Yale respectively, and an undergraduate degree in religious studies from Dartmouth College, where she graduated cum laude. She is a graduate of the Clinical Externship in Family Therapy at the Ackerman Institute for the Family. She has also served as a Teaching Fellow for the Institute's introductory course on family therapy.  

Nell has presented both nationally and internationally on her work with chronically and terminally ill patients and their families, as well as her work with individuals and couples experiencing infertility and pregnancy loss. She has published on this work and has had the honor of being the recipient of several awards, including the New Writers Fellowship from the Journal of Family Process, and three grants from Yale University toward her work exploring the role of religion in society and in the field of medical ethics, in particular.

Prior to beginning her graduate studies in clinical social work, she was awarded the Golding Scholarship at Yeshiva University. She now serves as an adjunct professor at its School of Social Work teaching Family Systems.