Chelsea Spencer, LCSW, LICSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Chelsea Spencer is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Air Force Veteran with more than 15 years of experience working in and alongside the Special Operations Forces (SOF) community as both an Active Duty behavioral health provider and civilian clinician.
She earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Clemson University and a Master of Social Work from the University of South Carolina. Chelsea began her military career as an Air Force Behavioral Health Officer, serving at Eglin Air Force Base and Moody Air Force Base.
Following her Active Duty service, she joined the Preservation of the Force and Family (POTFF) initiative as an embedded behavioral health provider with Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) at Hurlburt Field, where she spent five years. She then served for over six years at Special Operations Command North (SOCNORTH) as their POTFF provider supporting special operations personnel and family members across all branches of the SOF community.
Her experience across multiple assignments and components has given her a broad understanding of the culture, operational demands, and differences between the military services within SOF. She is also familiar with the military medical system and Department of Veterans Affairs, allowing her to help clients navigate both behavioral health treatment and the systems that support it.
Chelsea works with service members, veterans, spouses, couples, and families experiencing trauma and PTSD, anxiety, depression, sleep difficulties, substance use, anger and irritability, relationship challenges, grief and loss, transition, chronic pain, loss of connection and the ongoing stress associated with the military and SOF lifestyle.
Her approach is holistic and individualized, considering the interaction between psychological and physical responses to stress and trauma. Treatment may address sleep, emotional regulation, relationships, spiritual and social connection, and the effects of prolonged stress.
Chelsea draws from a variety of evidence-based approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Somatic Therapy, Polyvagal Theory, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Trauma-Focused CBT, Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Gottman Therapy, among others.
Her goal is to provide practical, effective treatment that takes into account the demands of military service and the realities of life within the SOF community.
