Chelsea Sterling, M.A., LPCC

Chelsea Sterling is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC). She holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of San Diego. Her clinical experiences include providing individual therapy, group therapy, crisis counseling and psychosocial assessments through work in short term acute residential treatment (START) programs, outpatient mental health clinics and an alcohol treatment facility.

She is a certified Domestic Violence Counselor. She has facilitated the following groups: cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), Mental Health and Sobriety, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and Seeking Safety. She has led critical incident debriefings, defusings and Wellness Day presentations for the SD Police Department and SD Fire Department. 

​Her clinical background includes work with the following populations: first responders and their families, underserved populations in San Diego, including adults with serious mental illnesses and co-occurring disorders, members of the LGBTQ+ community and adults with intellectual disabilities in a social work role.

Chelsea has also worked extensively with teens, focusing on depression, self-esteem, healthy relationships and boundaries, anxiety, stress management, and family issues such as divorce, separation, and blended families. She has supported teens in their emotional and social well-being, as well as strengthening their sense of selves to increase functioning as they navigate this challenging time in their lives.

She is trained in EMDR (eye movement desensitization reprocessing) therapy and has treated clients with PTSD, trauma, and anxiety using this method.

Chelsea values the importance of person-centered therapy based on a person’s strengths and values. Her therapeutic approaches include integrating cognitive-behavioral, supportive, person-centered, solution-focused brief therapy and dialectical behavior therapy. She works with adults and teenagers (13 years and older). Her approach is rooted in creating a comfortable space to explore a client’s concerns and partnering together to generate changes in thoughts, communication and behaviors that can create mental wellness in their lives.

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