CHELSIE CIMINELLI, LCSW, Clinical Director, Transforming Touch® Level 1 Practitioner, Advanced level mind, body, spirit release® practitioner
Hi, I’m Chelsie. I support adults, couples, and families in healing from developmental and attachment trauma, codependency, anxiety, depression, and self-esteem challenges. I’m especially passionate about helping my clients break free from perfectionism and self-doubt so they can thrive in authentic, healthy relationships.
Codependency & Boundaries
It’s okay to ask for what you need. This is something I need to remind myself of on a daily basis. For many of us, we focus so intently on making sure everyone else is taken care of that we completely abandon ourselves and ignore our own needs. This leaves us feeling exhausted, depleted, and quite frankly, resentful because we think to ourselves, “Why isn’t anyone taking care of me?”
I teach my clients what a healthy relationship looks like because if this wasn’t modeled for you at some point in your life, no one can expect you to just know how to do it. We work together on identifying needs and establishing boundaries—then learning how to follow through on them. I walk with my clients through the discomfort and fear that often accompanies boundary-setting, so they never feel alone.
As my clients grow their sense of safety and self-worth, they begin to trust themselves to make empowered choices. Boundaries become not only possible, but liberating. Over time, codependency is replaced with deeper connection—starting with the connection with themselves.
Inner Child Work & Reparenting
We all carry a voice inside of us—one that echoes the spoken and unspoken messages from our childhood. Often, that voice keeps us bound in shame, fear, and self-doubt, holding us back from living fully. I help my clients connect with their inner child and give space to express the unmet needs and emotions that went unspoken for far too long.
From there, we begin the tender process of reparenting: learning how to offer ourselves the love, safety, and attunement we may have missed. I guide clients in becoming the consistent, compassionate, loving caregiver their inner child always needed.
This work creates profound shifts in how clients relate to themselves and others. As the inner child heals, shame softens, self-compassion deepens, and authentic self-expression emerges. The result is a grounded, integrated self that no longer needs to hustle for worthiness.
Trauma Recovery & Nervous System Healing
When we experience events that are emotionally, physically, or spiritually overwhelming, our nervous system may not have the tools to process them. These experiences often get stuck in the body and can show up later as anxiety, depression, dissociation, sleep disruption, digestive issues, anger, chronic stress, or chronic illnesses.
My approach to trauma recovery is deeply somatic and rooted in nervous system regulation. I help clients release trauma stored in the body and rewire the protective beliefs and patterns that were formed as a result. This work allows us to move from survival mode to safety, from disconnection to reconnection.
By restoring capacity in the nervous system, clients experience more emotional resilience, stability, and clarity. Trauma healing is not just about letting go of pain—it's about reclaiming your vitality, presence, and joy. Together, we build a foundation of regulation so that healing can truly take root and flourish.
Transforming Touch®
I am trained in Transforming Touch®, a somatic modality that works directly with the nervous system to treat attachment and developmental trauma. This approach is rooted in presence, relationship, and regulation, and is designed to help repair early developmental attachment ruptures.
Transforming Touch® works with primitive reflexes and relational repair to reset the body’s survival patterns and support healing from the ground up. Whether used in-person or virtually, these techniques support the nervous system in building regulation, resilience, and a sense of internal safety. The result is greater emotional stability, capacity for connection, and a felt sense of wholeness.
Mind, Body, Spirit Release® (MBSR®)
As an Advanced Level Certified Mind, Body, Spirit Release® Practitioner, I use this modality to help clients identify and release subconscious blocks that may be interfering with their emotional, physical, or spiritual well-being. This work accesses the energetic imprints of stress, trauma, and limiting beliefs stored in the body—gently guiding them out of the nervous system and energetic field.
MBSR® combines principles from neuroscience, traditional Chinese medicine, and energy psychology to help the body return to balance. Clients often report feeling lighter, clearer, and more aligned after sessions. This modality is especially powerful for releasing inherited or ancestral patterns, stuck emotional energy, and self-sabotaging behaviors that don’t respond to talk therapy alone.
Integrating MBSR® into my practice has allowed me to support clients in healing at a multidimensional level—addressing root causes and restoring flow in the body, mind, and spirit. It’s a beautiful complement to the deeper nervous system work I offer and supports my clients in experiencing holistic transformation.
Clinical Meets Integrative
My work blends traditional psychotherapy with integrative healing approaches to support the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. I’m passionate about weaving together evidence-based clinical tools, somatic practices, and energetic work to meet my clients where they are.
At the heart of it all is nervous system healing. Because when the nervous system feels safe, the rest of us can begin to thrive. Through this lens, we’re not just treating symptoms—we’re transforming the internal landscape so you can feel grounded, connected, and empowered in your own life.
How I Help
It is difficult to allow myself to be vulnerable, and yet every time I do, I heal more deeply. I believe my role is to provide a safe and supportive space where my clients can be vulnerable, let go of fear and shame, and grow into joy, connectedness, love, and authenticity.
I help people become the best version of themselves and live fulfilling, meaningful lives. I help them find their voice, reclaim their purpose, and walk with confidence. As a recovering perfectionist who once felt weighed down by self-doubt, I know what it takes to move from surviving to thriving—and I feel honored to walk alongside others on their healing path.
Credentials & Experience
I earned my Master of Social Work from the University at Buffalo and am dually licensed in North Carolina and South Carolina. I bring experience from child welfare, school social work, and outpatient mental health settings working with children, teens, and adults.
In addition to my advanced training in Transforming Touch® and Mind, Body, Spirit Release®, I integrate trauma-informed modalities such as experiential psychotherapy, inner child healing, Safe and Sound Protocol, Rest and Restore Protocol and nervous system regulation practices into my work.
More About Me
I’m a wife and mom of two energetic boys who keep me grounded and laughing. My favorite way to unwind is soaking up the sun with a good book. I enjoy walking, hiking, swimming, and staying active—especially outdoors. I also love experimenting in the kitchen with clean, nourishing recipes that support my own journey with food sensitivities.
Nutrition, embodiment, and the mind-body-spirit connection are central passions in both my personal life and professional work. If I weren’t doing this work, I’d probably be running a cozy bakery serving paleo-friendly treats to people with food allergies and sensitivities. Helping others feel good in their bodies—without restriction or shame—is one more way I live my values.
I am on my own recovery journey from codependency and perfectionism, and I’m deeply grateful for the peace, love, and connection that doing my own inner work has brought into my life.
“In our culture, we associate vulnerability with emotions we want to avoid such as fear, shame, and uncertainty. Yet we too often lose sight of the fact that vulnerability is also the birthplace of joy, belonging, creativity, authenticity, and love.” — Brené Brown