Chelsea Heller , LMFT

Chelsea Heller is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) practicing in California. As an LMFT she is licensed to provide marriage and family therapy by the State of California (LMFT 116834) and brings a background in social work, school psychology, and clinical settings to her therapeutic work.

Chelsea previously spent nine years working as a social worker with Child Protective Services, supporting children and families affected by foster care and adoption. That experience informs her work with adoption-related concerns, attachment challenges, and identity questions. She has also provided care in an in-patient psychiatric hospital, where she assisted in short-term stabilization and educated families about serious mental health conditions. In the education sector she serves as a School Psychologist, conducting psychoeducational assessments to identify autism, intellectual disabilities, AD/HD, and learning disabilities and using those assessments to inform individualized education plans and related counseling services.

Her clinical interests include depression, anxiety, parenting, blended-family dynamics, teen issues, grief and loss, trauma and abuse, crisis and adjustment, ADHD, bipolar conditions, anger, self-esteem, career concerns, and relationship and family difficulties. Chelsea has a long-standing commitment to the LGBTQ community, having supported LGBTQ parents and children, led a Gay Straight Alliance at school, and pursued doctoral research on LGBTQ student needs.

Chelsea draws from an eclectic, humanistic approach with a strong person-centered orientation, aiming to meet each person where they are and support their self-discovery. She also incorporates evidence-informed techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and psychodynamic ideas as appropriate. Her role is to provide empathic, nonjudgmental support while collaborating with clients to set goals and move at the client’s preferred pace. Chelsea holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science from California State University San Marcos, certificates in Parent Education and Training from UCLA and in Special Education Advocacy from University of San Diego, a Master of Science in Research Psychology from University of Phoenix, a Master of Arts in Counseling (Marriage and Family Therapy) from Mount Saint Mary’s College, a PPS credential in School Psychology from La Sierra University, and is completing a Doctor of Education in Educational Psychology and Mental Health at La Sierra University.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Chelsea integrates Client-Centered Therapy into her online practice, focusing on creating an empathic, nonjudgmental space where clients set the pace and priorities for their work. This approach is helpful for building trust, exploring identity, and fostering self-understanding.

She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to identify and shift unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns; CBT is often useful for anxiety, depression, and stress-related concerns because it offers practical strategies clients can apply between sessions. Motivational Interviewing is another tool in her toolbox - a collaborative, goal-oriented method that helps people explore ambivalence and strengthen motivation for change, which can be effective for behavior change and decision-making.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Chelsea collaborates with each person to determine which methods best fit their needs, goals, and preferences, and she adapts strategies as progress unfolds.

Online care with Chelsea is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, providing flexibility for different schedules and comfort levels. These options make it easier for people to access licensed professionals and continue consistent work on relationships, parenting, identity, and mental health concerns without needing to travel to an office.