About Chelsea
You want to know: Why is she interested in eating disorder work? Does she know what she’s doing? Is she the right fit? And will she get me?
This page used to be full of a list of dry credentials and some hobbies I enjoy, but it didn’t really answer these questions. Choosing a therapist is important and time consuming, and I want you to feel confident that you’ve found the right person.
I do this work with passion because I’ve been there. Because my history with an eating disorder was complex, nuanced (and more common than I thought!) I get it on a level that other folks may not. I do therapy because of my own life changing experiences with wonderful therapists who invited and encouraged me to do the scary work of coming home to my body. I believe in therapy not as a panacea but as a wonderful tool for healing.
I also recognize that in order for all of us to heal, ALL bodies need to be held, supported, and invited into healing. As a straight sized, white therapist, I also do this work because I haven’t been there. The way I engaged in my recovery process is different than how you may engage in yours. Your history, lived experiences, and identities are different than mine and I look forward to exploring those with you. I wouldn’t be here- literally and as a professional- if it weren’t for fat, black, indigenous, queer activists who have invited all of us to the table for healing.
And yes, I know what I’m doing. I’m good at this. And if I don’t know what I’m doing, you can trust that I will let you know and also help you find the support that you need.
As for some of that dry credential stuff:
I have been in private practice since 2017, where the bulk of my work has been supporting with folks with eating disorders and disordered eating. I also support folks who simply want to improve their relationships with their bodies and with food.
I am a Certified Body Trust® Provider. You can learn more about Body Trust here.
I am a member of the International Association for Eating Disorder Professionals, the Academy of Eating Disorders, as well as the Association of Size Diversity and Health.
Prior to private practice, I practiced therapy at Central Washington University’s student counseling clinic as a generalist clinician. There I developed Central Washington University’s first Eating Disorder Treatment Protocol and supported students in gaining not only therapeutic support, but also nutrition and medical support. During my clinical training I was awarded “Outstanding Clinician” by my professors. I also served as a counselor in a residential treatment center for eating disorders and have been a staff therapist for a rehabilitative nursing home.
And in case you’re looking for what modalities I’m trained in because a specific type of treatment is important to you, I am well versed in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and am heavily influenced by Feminist/Multicultural and Psychodynamic theories.
As for how I am in therapy? What will meeting with me be like?
You can expect me to be warm, empathetic, and supportive. I provide a lot of space for you to process what needs to be witnessed. This doesn’t mean we don’t get work done- in fact, clients describe me as organized and on it when it comes to the work we do. I hold multiple truths: that your healing will be at your pace and I will also challenge you when it’s time.
I do not simply sit an nod. You can expect that I am an active participant in our sessions. Although this is your work, you can expect questions, reflections, and feedback from me. I hold multiple truths here too: that you are the expert in your own life and that it’s also helpful to have someone outside of it to provide a different perspective.
Time spent with you is wholly your time. You can trust that I take good care of myself and I make it a priority so that your hour is fully your hour.
I work best with clients who are so done with the same old cycles of body hatred, deprivation, restriction and want to explore a new pathway forward.