- Client-centered listening
- CBT and DBT tools
- Body image and grief
About Chelsey
Chelsey Merchant is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensed in Utah with five years of clinical experience. She focuses on stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, self-esteem, body image, and depression, and lists guilt and shame among her areas of work.
Chelsey works from the idea that each person knows their story best. She centers clients' own knowledge and strengths when they talk through hard things. Sessions are practical and direct, with attention to what feels achievable week to week.
Her approach draws on several therapy styles to fit the issue at hand. She uses client-centered methods to listen and reflect, cognitive behavioral tools to identify thoughts that keep someone stuck, and dialectical behavior skills to build emotion regulation. Mindfulness and narrative techniques are part of her toolbox when people need different ways to make sense of painful memories.
Chelsey also talks about specific concerns such as intimacy-related issues, grief, eating and body image, gender dysphoria, and experiences tied to kink and alternative sex culture. She works with mood disorders, bipolar features, and stress related to life changes, hospice, or caregiving.
Her sessions aim to help people reduce the load of shame or guilt, notice patterns that keep problems active, and practice small, practical steps that move daily life forward. To start, clients follow the online sign-up flow and schedule a first session after completing a short questionnaire.
How her approaches translate to online sessions
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and reflecting back what matters to the client. Online sessions using this approach let a person explain their story and decide what to focus on while the therapist mirrors and clarifies what she hears.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps identify unhelpful thinking patterns and replace them with more useful ones. In an online session this often looks like reviewing recent situations, noting the thoughts that came up, and practicing new ways to test those thoughts between meetings.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers concrete skills for managing intense emotions and improving interpersonal effectiveness. Used online, DBT work can include skill teaching, role practice, and short worksheets to try between sessions to reduce reactivity and increase steadiness.
Choosing the right mix of methods is collaborative. Chelsey will work with the client to see what fits their needs, goals, and comfort level, and adjust approaches as therapy progresses.
The original profile does not list specific session formats, so confirm current session options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit meetings into a busy life, allow shorter check-in sessions when needed, reduce commuting time, and let people join from quieter surroundings when that helps. Licensed professionals can adapt tools like CBT worksheets or DBT skill practice to an online setting to support steady progress.
Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
5+ years
Listed in
Utah
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, self-esteem, body image, depression, and related issues including guilt and shame.
How would she approach shame or guilt?
She uses client-centered listening alongside CBT and DBT skills to identify self-critical thoughts and build practical coping strategies.
What is her clinical background?
She holds an LCSW and has five years of professional therapy experience in clinical settings.
Where is she licensed to practice?
She is a Utah LCSW and practices from that licensure; sessions are offered from that location.
Does she offer sessions in other languages?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the US work with her?
She is not currently accepting international clients.
How are sessions structured and what do they cost?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time; check the sign-up flow for current pricing details.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.