Meet Chelsea
Passionate about helping others
In 2007, I took a life changing job as a personal care aide.
I had just finished my Bachelor of Arts degree and I didn’t know
what to do next. I followed up on an ad in the local paper for a
personal care giver and after a 6 hour “interview”, I knew my life had
changed. I started work the following week and never looked back.
I have always had a helper’s heart but when I found myself living and breathing the work, I knew it was meant for me. Since then, I have pursued both a Bachelor of Social Work and a Masters of Social Work with a clinical specialization. My professional experience has included working in: home care, sexual health, community cancer care, hospice, acute care, and alongside survivors of sexualized violence.
For the last five years I have specialized in Women’s Health. My work experience has included both inpatient and outpatient settings, and has allowed me to reach women at every stage of the parenthood trajectory, from infertility and pregnancy loss, all the way into the toddler years. I have served women on inpatient units including: labour and delivery unit and the neonatal intensive care unit, as well as in outpatient clinics including: general pediatric and the obstetrics and gynecology clinic. I have grown passionate about serving women and their partners during the perinatal period, a truly unique time in a young family’s life.
My experience in women's health has taught me that each pregnancy and postpartum experience is different, because, well, each woman and family situation is unique.
It is important to know that over the last five years I have pursued specialized training in this area, including, most recently, a certificate program in Maternal Mental Health offered by Postpartum Support International and the 2020 Mom project.
How do I work
In therapy, I am warm, genuine and non-judgmental. I am a mother too and so I understand how difficult it is. I want you to feel safe to share your worries with me.
My general philosophy in therapy is that each of us are experts in our own lives and often, we just need someone to talk to in order to discover what will work best for us. I want to be your sounding board.
I am patient-centred in my approach and will never tell you what is best for you or your family, but it is my goal in therapy to work together to generate solutions. We will find an approach that will work best for you and your family's unique needs. By drawing primarily on Interpersonal Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Mindfulness techniques, I will work with you to develop a treatment plan that you feel comfortable and confident with.
While there are many benefits to traditional face-to-face therapy, I know as a new mom or a mama-to-be, you are often inundated with appointments and going to therapy can just be too much, even when you know you really need it. That is why I have pursued specialized training in offering therapy online. I wanted to be able to broaden access to mental health support. So, whether you live in a rural community of Alberta or you just don't want to bundle your little one up in the cold winter, you can still reap the benefits of counselling with Village Therapy.
Outside of Work
In addition to being a therapist, I am also a mom. Together with my husband, we are raising two beautiful little boys. Our house is busy, loud, and we are enjoying watching our boys grow and develop their own personalities. Naturally, not all days are filled with sunshine and rainbows but we are finding our footing, one day at a time, and with the support of our village.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family, making memories camping at the lake or having dance parties in the kitchen. I am a lover of books, music and people.
Credentials
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Master of Social Work (Clinical Specialization), University of Calgary
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Bachelor of Social Work, University of Victoria
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Bachelor of Arts, University of Alberta
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ACSW Registration No. 10345
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BCCSW Registration No. 15503
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PSI & 2020 mom Maternal Mental Health Certificate
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Online Therapy Level 1 Certificate
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Completed workshops/training in: Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Somatic Experiencing workshop, Depression in Pregnancy, Perinatal Loss Workshops, Dr. Wolfelt Companioning the Bereaved workshop, Grief Support workshops, Pain & Palliative Care 2-day Training Program, Diversity in death and dying seminar, Determining Capability for Health Care Consent, Ethical Medical Decision Making, Identifying Abuse & Neglect, Living Brave Semester with Brene Brown
