LCSW, 6 years of experience
I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 5+ years of experience supporting individuals on their healing journeys. I believe your mind and body brought you here for a reason. My approach centers the needs of Black women and women of color who are ready to shift out of survival mode, perfectionism, and overthinking, and into deeper connection with themselves. I focus on somatic regulation, not just cognitive insight, because healing isn’t only about talking, it’s about learning to feel safe in your body. I offer a grounding, collaborative space where you can slow down, tune in, and build the inner capacity to show up for yourself with compassion and clarity.
We’ll begin our first session with a grounding check-in to help you arrive and settle into the space. I’ll invite you to share anything coming up around beginning therapy, and I’ll offer a brief introduction to who I am, my approach, and what you can expect from our work together. We’ll review policies and clarify any questions you may have, and I’ll ask some thoughtful questions to learn more about your background, values, and what’s bringing you to therapy. The first session may be a bit more question-heavy as I gather context to understand how I can best support you, but I’ll always follow your pace. I’ll also invite you to consider: “How would you know therapy is working for you?” I want you to know you don’t have to share everything right away or talk about anything you’re not ready for. The first few sessions are about co-creating a space where you feel grounded, supported, and safe to show up as your full self. I trust that the most important things will arise in their own timing—and I’ll be there to help you meet them with care and curiosity.
One of my core strengths as a therapist is helping you understand why you feel the way you do—through accessible, compassionate psychoeducation. I bring a deep knowledge of the nervous system and trauma-informed care, and I love supporting clients in making sense of their experiences through a mind-body lens. When you understand your patterns through the science of regulation, shame begins to loosen, and real change becomes possible. My approach blends grounding, somatic practices, and structured support to help you shift from survival mode into deeper self-connection. I often start or end sessions with nervous system regulation practices, and I’ll invite you to slow down, notice what’s happening in your body, and build awareness over time. I work especially well with clients who are seeking more than just venting about their life, but who want to reconnect with themselves, shift long-held patterns, and feel more regulated and resourced in daily life. I offer a blend of structure and spaciousness. Together, we’ll create sessions that support not just reflection, but meaningful shifts: starting and ending sessions with grounding, weaving in somatic tools, and making room for insight to land in the body. I see you as the expert of your own experience, and I’m here to offer a supportive, aligned path to healing that centers your growth and well-being.
I work best with clients who are ready to move into deeper mind-body healing. Many of the people I support are high-functioning but overwhelmed, and navigating anxiety, relationship patterns, trauma, or major life transitions while struggling to prioritize themselves. They’re often the ones others rely on, but inside, they feel disconnected, overextended, or emotionally exhausted. I specialize in working with Black women and women of color who want to shift out of survival mode and into greater alignment, rest, and inner safety. My clients are ready to stop abandoning themselves, set more nourishing boundaries, and show up more fully in their relationships with others and with themselves. They may feel stuck in overthinking or burnout, but deep down, they’re seeking more: ease in their bodies, clarity in their decisions, and trust in their own intuition. Together, we slow down, listen inward, and begin to rewire patterns from the inside out so healing doesn’t just feel like something we talk about, but something you live and embody. My approach is grounded in a client-centered, relational, and somatic framework. I value spaciousness, collaboration, and insight-building over advice-giving or quick solutions. This means we’ll focus on exploring patterns, building safety in the body, and deepening self-understanding—rather than rushing towards a quick fix. If you're seeking a space where you're guided toward deeper self-trust and mind-body awareness, rather than a prescriptive or highly directive approach, you may find our work together to be a good fit.
Chelsey Reese offers therapy covered by CalViva Health (Medi-Cal), Community Health Plan of Imperial Valley (Medi-Cal) and Health Net (Medi-Cal) in California.
CBT Training (2017) If you want to stop or change a specific behavior or thought, we can consider incorporating elements of CBT into your treatment plan. CBT is based on the idea that our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are all connected. During our work we can use CBT to understand unhelpful thought cycles or behavioral patterns and identify where we can interrupt the cycle to create meaningful changes. The approach is a "top-down" approach that explores what's happening in the mind.
Advanced clinical training in Relational Gestalt Therapy (2022) Relational therapy is founded on the principle that everything in life is a relationship. You have a relationship with yourself, with other people, and even with different habits and emotions. If you are looking to manage symptoms of anxiety, for example, we may explore what your relationship with Anxiety looks like (where did it first develop, how does it affect your outlook on life, what is it trying to communicate to you, etc.). In relational therapy we may explore different attachment styles and incorporate inner child work and parts work into the treatment. Relational therapy values the therapeutic relationship happening between client and therapist as well, as it often reflects what relationships may look like outside of the therapy space.
Somatic Trauma Therapy Certification (2023) Somatic therapy is a "bottom-down" processing approach that explores what's happening in the body. Somatic awareness is based on the understanding that emotions and lived experiences are stored in the body and affects how our nervous system responds in our day-to-day life. Somatic therapy may ask you to examine where you are holding tension, stress, tightness, or trauma in the body. Can you drop your shoulders away from your ears, unclench your jaw, release your tongue from the roof of your mouth, or unfurrow your brows.
Working from a trauma informed lens means I take into account the impact of trauma on the body, emotions, and behaviors. I talk with clients about what trauma is and how it affects our nervous system. Everything offered in session is an invitation and we can gradually address trauma in a way that feels safe and comfortable for you. Trauma informed care is client centered and collaborative. I believe that clients are the experts in their own life and healing, and I aim to be intentional about creating an energy of empowerment.