About Chelsie
Growing up in Southern Indiana, I spent most of my childhood outdoors.
I was often outside wandering around dense forests, fishing, foraging mushrooms, and willing to go on any adventure my father would take me on.
My curiosity and love of nature eventually led me on a road trip out west where I got to experience its wide expansiveness and variety of landscapes. I quickly moved to Wyoming where I worked for an outdoor guiding company. This work allowed me to appreciate how living in nature and overcoming challenges can develop leadership, grit, and resiliency.
Though I loved working for the outdoor industry, I knew I needed to find work that was more meaningful and connected to my desire of being in a supportive role to others. I began working in wilderness therapy in Southern Utah in 2012 as a field instructor and knew instantly I wanted to be a part of the therapeutic process indefinitely. This work fueled my desire to continue on the path of supporting others to draw upon their strengths to overcome challenges and obstacles in their lives. I later became a Field Director and knew I needed to be more connected to the student’s journey.
I completed my Master’s in Counseling and reunited with wilderness therapy, this time as a primary therapist.
As a therapist, I work to empower my clients to envision a life they find meaningful and connected to their values, interests, and strengths. The session often feels more of a collaboration to support the process of building agency and feeling less stuck. Through attachment work and fostering positive working relationships with clients, they begin the process of discovering what barriers are getting in the way of what they ultimately want for themselves.
I am trained in NARM, which allows me to work on a somatic and cognitive level with relational, attachment, and developmental trauma. I am also trained in Brainspotting, which is a somatic, brain-based trauma resolution tool to alleviate the impacts of trauma. At the core, I find clients are often seeking ways to build connection, and sometimes avoid the pain of not feeling connected. The goal is to help clients create more calm by regulating their nervous system and shifting away from shame-based narratives that create disconnection. With a stronger sense of calm and less fear or anxiety, they can connect more deeply to themselves and others. This process also helps build more confidence and agency which is often needed to remove the barriers that get in the way of my client’s goals.
I have always enjoyed working with young adults and their families who support them. I believe this is in part because I had a challenging time in my young adult life discovering who and how I wanted to be in the world. It was a process for me, and I benefited from having those in my life who allowed me to struggle and find my way, while still offering me support.
It is a privilege to be able to offer this level of support and guidance to my clients and their families.
