Career Advising

For those figuring out their path in social work, marriage and family therapy, or professional counseling.

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Meaningful careers in mental health work don't happen by accident, and getting advice before you dive in can be a game changer. But not just any advice- advice from someone who encourages honest reflection, shares authentic information about the field, and is willing to ask you the hard questions early.

I believe…

A woman sitting at a wooden table outside a bakery, smiling and holding a cup of coffee or tea, with a bakery window behind her showing baked goods and French writing.

I’m chelsea.

My approach

I bring my own unique path into this work: an MSW, LCSW, and a California school social work credential; almost a decade as a school-based clinician across Bay Area districts; doctoral training at Tulane; and current adjunct teaching at CSU East Bay, Samuel Merritt University, and The Wright Institute. I have made most of the decisions the people I advise are now making, and as a first-generation college student, I did most of them on my own. I have also made career decisions recently enough to remember what the heaviness actually felt like.

Advising with me isn't about following someone else's script for you and your life. It's about thinking clearly with someone who understands the field, respects your autonomy, and can offer honest perspective on the decisions in front of you.

My approach centers on:

  • Honest exploration of fit before commitment

  • Realistic information about pathways, timelines, and finances

  • Respect for your autonomy in decision-making

  • Written planning documents you can return to after our work is finished

Things we’ll work on

Direction

Naming the specific decision in front of you and what makes it hard, before working towards the answer.

Licensure

Navigating what all the licensure stuff means, how to find a clinical supervisor, and how to plan for your pre-licensure years.

Pathways

Understanding the real differences between MSW, MFT, and LPCC routes, and discussing which pathway fits your goals and values.

Specialty

Thinking about population, setting, and clinical focus that you would like to work with, including what training falls in line with your goals, and others that may not fit as closely.

Programs

Comparing graduate programs, formats, and timing considerations without the marketing pressure from the programs as you make the decision that is best for you.

Transitions

Career change into the field, or between phases within it, with attention to what you're carrying and what you're building towards.

FAQs

  • I offer five packages designed around specific decision points:

    • Considering the Field (2 sessions, $450 | $225 undergraduate sliding scale) — for undergraduates and career changers exploring the field

    • Choosing Your Path in Grad School (3 sessions, $650 | $455 graduate sliding scale) — for current MSW, MFT, or PCC students working through specialization and internship decisions

    • The Journey to Licensure (3 sessions, $650 | $455 associate sliding scale) — for ASWs, AMFTs, and APCCs navigating supervision and post-licensure planning

    • Career Change into Mental Health Work (4 sessions, $850 | $595 transition sliding scale) — for career changers making the transition into the field

    • Doctoral Training Consideration (2 sessions, $450) — for licensed clinicians considering DSW, PhD, or PsyD

    Single-session consultations are also available at $225/hour for focused questions.

  • Career advising is for undergraduates considering entering the field, current graduate students figuring out their focus, associates working toward licensure, career changers exploring transition into mental health work, and licensed clinicians considering doctoral training or specialty changes. If you're at a decision point in your mental health career and want to think it through with someone who has recently navigated the field, this work may be for you.

  • Clinical supervision is a formal professional relationship where the supervisor takes clinical and legal responsibility for the supervisee's client work. It counts toward licensure hours and is regulated by state boards. Career advising is professional guidance that does not include clinical responsibility for your client work and does not count toward licensure hours. If you need formal supervision for licensure, career advising isn't the right service.

  • Career advising is professional consultation focused on career decisions and planning your career path. It's not therapy, and it doesn't address personal or emotional issues connected to your career. If you're working through personal material, therapy would be a better fit.

  • Sessions are available in-person at my office in San Francisco or via telehealth throughout the United States. Most clients choose telehealth for scheduling flexibility.

  • Reach out through the form below, and we'll talk through where you are and what you're working through. I'll be honest about whether one of the packages is a fit, and if career advising isn't the right service for what you need, I'll say that too.

  • Sliding scale pricing is available through simple self-attestation during booking. Undergraduates, current graduate students, associates working toward licensure, and career changers actively in transition qualify for reduced rates. No documentation required.

Ready to jump in?

To start, please book a free 20-minute discovery call. We'll talk about where you are in your career, what decision you're working through, and whether one of my packages fits.

If you have questions before booking a call, please use the form below.

LET'S TALK IT THROUGH

Get in touch

LET’S CONNECT.

Please reach out using this form. I'll respond within 2 business days.