Chelse (they/she) is of European, German, Irish and Polish decent, is non-binary and queer. They were born in St. Paul, MN and raised primarily in the city of St. Cloud, MN. Chelse was raised by two musicians who both worked in the medical field and they are an only child. Chelse spent many of their childhood days being imaginative, creative, and active indoors with art, music, and dance and outdoors in nature at Quarry Park. As a teen, Downtown St. Cloud was home to Chelse and cultivated a deeper connection to music, art and identifying as a misfit and expansive person in society.
Chelse received their bachelor’s degree of social work from St. Cloud State University in 2013 and their master’s degree of social work from St. Catherine’s and St. Thomas University in 2018. Chelse currently lives around the St. Cloud area. Chelse has been living as an out and proud queer person since 2011 and non-binary person since 2022. Chelse is a partner, parent, survivor and coffee, donut and sloth enthusiast. All these intersecting identities, experiences and perspectives inform the work Chelse does and the communities Chelse intentionally chooses to serve.
Chelse's Values:
-Integrity
-Courage
-Compassion
-Doing less harm
-Minding my business
-Silliness, play and fun
Work Experience:
-Direct Care for people with disabilities
-Case management
-Inpatient medical and mental health within a hospital setting
-Outpatient therapy
-Social work supervision
Areas of interest/experience:
-Childhood development, trauma and healing
-Anxiety
-Depression
-Codependency and boundaries
-Anti racism, oppression, White Supremacy
-Sexual abuse and healing
-Identity exploration and developing authenticity
-LGBTQIAP2S+ inclusion, dysphoria, fostering queer joy
-Parenting and co-parenting
-Harm reduction
-Self compassion
-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
-Dialectical Behavior Therapy (non-adherent)
-Internal Family Systems
Hobbies:
-Painting
-Being in nature
-Bicycling
-MUSIC!
-Swimming
{{ Energy In Emotion is located on the indigenous homeland of the Dakota Oyate (Dakota Nation }}
Picture taken by Chelse at Paul Bunyan State Forest Fall 2022