An Invitation to Innerlight Intimacy and What I Hope to Offer✨
A transformative therapeutic relationship requires trust, vulnerability, and safety.
Our clients share with us their deepest worries and desires. But, I believe it’s equally as important that we share parts of ourselves. Therapy is a partnership, and for powerful change to happen we need to create an open space for communication.
Who are we? What is our ‘why’? Why should we be trusted to hold these parts of our clients?
For my first post, it felt right to re-introduce myself, my services, and my approach to my new and established clients. If you are new here, this can help you decide whether I may be the therapist for you.
A Re-Introduction: Who Is Chelsea?
I’m a licensed psychotherapist and AASECT-certified sex therapist based in Baltimore, Maryland, I proudly offer individual, sex, and couple and relational therapy virtually across the state.
From the comfort of your home, my wish is for clients to feel empowered to address their emotional well-being, enhance their sexual satisfaction, and build their confidence.
A native speaker of Mandarin-Chinese, I can also offer therapy in Chinese! I am a first-generation immigrant and resonate deeply with folks adjusting to new cultures. I naturally bring multicultural awareness to my practice and am always excited to work with those from diverse backgrounds.
Outside of the therapy room, I am a keen photographer, coffee seeker, recipe tester, and reader of books!
In recent years, I’ve also found a deep love for both bouldering and horseback riding. They both require attunement to the body’s internal wisdom—our proprioception, balance, and subtle shifts in energy. They’ve taught me to listen more closely to my own body and to trust its ability, even when I am scared. These practices help me realize that our limitations are often shaped not by our actual capacity, but by the loss of imagination around what we believe we’re allowed or able to do.
By growing out of my personal limitations, it has informed my practice with clients. My hope for them is that they can reimagine what is possible and discover that they are more capable than they once believed.
Why ‘Innerlight Intimacy’?
I chose the name InnerLight Intimacy to reflect a core belief that healing begins by coming home to ourselves. InnerLight symbolizes THE sacred knowing within us, and Intimacy is the brave journey of coming closer—to ourselves, to others, to the outer world.
I believe we each hold an intuited source of illumination (our truth, vitality, value, erotic energy, longing, expression… ), but this light is often dimmed by shame, fear, or the pressure to conform. So many of us spend years searching outside for approval, for love, for permission to be who we are. We learned to please, to avoid conflict, to fear rejection, and to give up authenticity for attachment. but in doing so, we slowly disconnect from our own light.
I hope my work can help folks reclaim the power to define their own joy, their own boundaries, their own sense of worth. This practice is here to support that journey, especially when it feels messy, vulnerable, or nonlinear.
What Do I Specialize In?
For Individual Therapy, I specialise in:
Modern life stressors
Interpersonal and attachment issues
Sexual health
Self-exploration and personal growth
LGBTQIA+ concerns,
Support for mental health professionals,
Emotions related to anxiety, depression, and anger.
Also,I uniquely specialize in helping immigrants, international students, and those who struggle with cultural adjustment.
For Sex Therapy, I specialise in:
Sex self-esteem and performance pressure
Women’s sexual wellness
Recovery from sexual trauma and abuse
Couples and relationship work
LGBTQIA+ sexual health concerns
Sexual Exploration and Pleasure Enhancement
Sexual health is a human right, and my sessions provide a safe, non-judgemental, culturally sensitive, and inclusive environment for you to explore your sexual self, interests, and needs.
For Couple Therapy, I specialize in:
Conflicts and Communication Issues
Trust and Infidelity
Intimacy Challenges
Life Transitions
Struggles for Queer Couples
Cultural Differences
Emotional Distance
Struggles for Polyamorous or Ethically Non-Monogamous Couples
Every couple is unique, and I incorporate individualised, creative techniques in sessions to help couples release themselves from unhelpful patterns and dynamics.
What Informs My Therapeutic Approach, Philosophy & Values?
I blend Gestalt Therapy, Narrative therapy, Emotion-Focused therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Existential Humanistic approaches to help clients connect to their sexual selves, reconnect with their partners, and foster self-exploration and discovery.
Sex and relationships can be difficult to talk about, especially if you come from a culture where such topics are taboo. I personalize my sessions to each client, taking the time to understand their cultural background and individual story. This allows me to create effective and meaningful treatment plans that are designed just for you.
Rather than focusing on the content of the ‘problem’, I focus on the context of your struggles. By examining your underlying patterns, we can address the root causes and facilitate lasting change.
I view diagnoses as tools instead of labels. By approaching my clients as whole beings instead of symptoms, I work towards holistic growth and healing.
What are my Qualifications?
You can see my full list of education and training here, but an abridged list is available below:
AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (2025)
Gestalt Equine Psychotherapy at Gestalt Equine Institute Rockies (present)
Sexual Health Certificate Program at University of Michigan (2022-2023)
Sex and Bonds of Love Webinar by Dr Sue Johnson (2022)
Complex Trauma Certification, Level 1 & 2 (2022)
Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT), Level 1 (2021)
Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Johns Hopkins University (2018)
I regularly attend conferences and complete trainings to continue my education and ability to provide the best care to my clients.
Why Virtual Therapy?
I do not have an in-person space to see clients, which can make some feel anxious. Clients have questioned: Will I make a connection with you online? Is virtual therapy less effective than in-person?
Research has shown that virtual therapy is just as impactful as in-person sessions. However, to get the most out of your sessions, I would suggest you:
Find a quiet and private environment
Check your technology, i.e. ensure devices are charged, your internet is stable, and you’ve updated any apps required for the session
Make yourself comfortable
Minimize distractions
Have a notebook ready
Be honest and open
Have a post-session plan
Virtual therapy means it’s accessible and convenient for us to begin our journey together.
How Do We Get Started?
If you resonate with my approach and would like to learn more, you can organize a free 15-minute consultation call to see if we are a good fit. I am currently accepting new clients for virtual therapy sessions between 12-5pm across the state of Maryland.
Ready to take the next step? You can also fill out the form below to start your therapy journey today.
I am excited to hear from and work with you.
Therapy / virtual therapy / sex therapy / couple therapy / individual therapy / psychotherapy / Maryland / Baltimore / self-esteem / sex / mental health / well-being / Mandarin / immigrant / multicultural / cultural adjustment / attunement / equine therapy / intimacy / fear / attachment / sexual health / LGBTQ+ / anxiety / depression / anger / international students / performance anxiety / women’s sexual wellness / trauma / sexual trauma / abuse / relationships / pleasure / inclusive / conflict resolution / trust / infidelity / queer / polyamory / ethically non-monagamous / Gestalt therapy / Narrative therapy / Emotion-Focused Therapy / EFT / Emotionally Focused Therapy / Internal Family Systems (IFS) / Existential / Humanistic / holistic / personal growth / AASECT
