Registered Psychotherapist offering anxiety and trauma therapy in Kitchener

Chelsea Gay 

Founder & Registered Psychotherapist

M.A., B.A.

About

Chelsea has worked in mental health for a decade across inpatient and outpatient settings, addictions counselling, and community-based services. These experiences shaped how she understands trauma, resilience, and the ways people adapt in response to stress, loss, and change. That foundation continues to guide her work as a psychotherapist today.

Her approach is informed by seeing how people survive difficult circumstances long before they ever enter therapy. Chelsea brings a thoughtful, relational lens to her work and focuses on helping clients make sense of their experiences in ways that support long-term healing and growth.

Who I Work With

Chelsea works with teens and adults who have been carrying more than they should have had to for a long time. For some, this includes clearly defined trauma; for others, it is the slower buildup of stress, responsibility, or years spent staying strong for others.

Many clients come to therapy feeling stuck in survival mode, anxious, disconnected, or exhausted. Her work is not about fixing what is “wrong,” but about understanding how the nervous system learned to protect itself, and developing new ways to feel safer, steadier, and more connected. Chelsea’s work is relational and trauma-informed, blending emotional processing with practical tools for stability and self-understanding.

Clinical Framework

Chelsea’s work is relational and trauma-informed, blending emotional processing with practical tools for stability and self-understanding. She draws from a variety of evidence-based models to ensure the work is tailored to the individual:

  • DBT & CBT: To provide immediate tools for distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and managing negative thoughts.

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): To help you move toward what matters to you, even when anxiety is present.

  • Internal Family Systems (IFS): To explore and unburden the "parts" of you that have been staying on guard.

  • Polyvagal Theory: To provide a biological roadmap for calming the nervous system and moving out of survival states.

  • Attachment-Focused Therapy: To understand how early relationships impact your current sense of security and connection.

Fees

Individual Session (50 minutes) $160

* Waitlist only

Education & Credentials

  • Registered Psychotherapist, College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO)

  • Canadian Counselling & Psychotherapy Association Professional Member

  • Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology, Yorkville University

  • Honours Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University

  • Clinical Supervision Certificate, 2025

  • Certified DBT Therapist, 2025

  • Certified ADHD Clinical Services Provider, 2025

  • Certified Clinical Traumatologist, TITC-CT, 2023

  • Gottman Couples Therapy Level 1, 2022

  • Harm Reduction, 2024

  • Functional Assessment for OCD, 2026

  • Exposure Therapy for OCD & Anxiety Disorders, 2024

  • Treating OCD in Adults, 2024

  • Treating Childhood OCD, 2024

  • Adverse Childhood Experiences & Healing Childhood Trauma, 2024

  • NVCI & ASSIST 2024

  • De-escalating Violent Situations, 2024

  • 2SLGBTQIA+ Foundations Level I & II, 2022 & 2023

  • Vicarious Trauma, 2023

  • Solution Focused Therapy, 2022

  • Suicide Prevention & Intervention, 2022

  • Indigenous Canada 2020

Contact

chelsea@kwpsychotherapygroup.ca