Chelse Bolin, MSW, LICSW
chelse@affinitypsych.com
Welcome. My name is Chelse, I use they/them pronouns and I am a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in Minnesota.
I’m glad you are here. Making the choice to start therapy can feel vulnerable and you may feel like you don’t know where to start. Or you may know exactly where you want to start- either way, I am here to meet you where you are at. Whether you have been to therapy in the past or this is your first time reaching out for support; I believe you have innate power and wisdom to create change, so that your life is one you enjoy and want to live, even when it gets tough.
How I Work
I provide mindful, compassion-based support so that you can get to the root of the issues that brought you to therapy. I believe this is where deeper healing lies. I am informed by humanist and attachment theory, and I utilize somatics (the felt sense of what occurs in the body) to assist you in your ability to be with big feelings and experiences, so you can understand them a little better. My presence is gentle, direct, fluid and fun! Clients have told me they feel that I treat them like human beings and that I am not afraid of their pain. I am influenced by the perspectives of Nedra Glover Tawwab, Dr. Kristin Neff, Kai Cheng Thom, Dr. Gabor Mate, Dr. Scott Lyon, and Brittanie Hernandez- Wilson.
How We Will Work
When we start working together, I like to spend time getting to know what you envision your experience in therapy looking like. Our time together will be collaborative. There will typically be more space for you in our sessions; meaning, I don’t take up the session by telling you what to do. I believe therapy works the best when you are in charge. I’m big on consent and I will respect your boundaries; meaning, I will ask if you want feedback before giving it, I will check in with you about how you feel during session, especially if intense emotions and/or trauma comes up and if you tell me you don’t want to talk about something I won’t push. I will stay consistent in this throughout our work together, so I can assess if any of your boundaries change as rapport is built and strengthened.
What Sets Me Apart As a Therapist?
My philosophy on overall health is that it is greatly affected by a person’s experiences. These experiences can affect you on a conscious and subconscious level. I believe people’s symptoms are labeled too quickly as a “disorder” without considering the contributions to these symptoms like the presence and quality of a person’s relationships and environment. I strive to create a warm space free of “othering” labels. The lens from which I practice therapy affirms expansive identity formations, oppression, trauma, neurodivergence, sex work, kink and polyamory. I strive to nudge you to your own empowerment by focusing on your strengths, even in experiences where you may believe those do not exist. I’m queer in both my gender and my sexuality. I’m a survivor and a parent through IVF. I love coffee with creamer, doughnuts, and sloths! I am also an artist who has returned to art after a 20 year hiatus.
