*SLIDING SCALE FEES FOR CASH PAY AVAILABLE* Hello there; I'm Chelsea of Creating Cohesion Counseling! I use she/her/hers pronouns. Are you feeling like your life has been more difficult to manage than it used to be? Do you feel like there is something or multiple things holding you back from feeling content with your life? There are so many things we are constantly juggling to keep a balanced and fulfilling life. In my work with clients, I help you to make sense of the chaos and get to a balance that works for you. Be it depression, anxiety, relationship issues, family issues, past traumas... they all impact and influence our ability to make it through the day. I provide a space of empathy, compassion, and an outside perspective to help find blind spots or reframe meaning. Whether you've been in therapy before or this is your first time, I strive to create a collaborative partnership meant to empower you and start to feel in control again. **NOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING COUPLES** **NOT ACCEPTING CLIENTS UNDER 18**

What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?

First sessions unfortunately aren't "therapy", they are set-up. I'll introduce myself and expectations for therapy, other ethical and legal disclosures, then we will talk about why you're here, where you've been, and where you want to go. So I encourage clients to try and stick it out at least until session two because session one is nothing like the work we will be doing throughout our time together. My biggest values as a therapist are authenticity and openness, and they are important going both ways. While developing rapport is a process, clients who can be open to challenge or push back from me in the name of growth seem to get the most out of treatment. I also am not a therapist who gets too hung up on "presentation." I'll be in comfy clothes with the hope my clients feel they can do the same. For clients who are more comfortable speaking with profanities, I'll use that language right along side them. The more energy spent on projecting an image to one another for the sake of decorum, the less energy available to do the work we need to do. So come as you are and help me understand how to build a space that best serves you.

Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.

I would broadly identify myself as "sex-positive" and consider this a strong area of interest. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community myself, I am affirming to and welcome all sexual identities and genders. I am also polyamory/ethical non-monogamy affirming and have personal experience with navigating this relationship style. Much of my clinical experience has been within community mental health, so I have also received significant training in and have experience with various traumatic experiences.

About Chelsea Chojnacki