A Thoughtful, Relational Approach to Care
Psychotherapy at Sacral Root | Chelsea Saunders, APCC
My therapeutic work is grounded in the understanding that meaningful psychological change happens through experience, not insight alone.
Therapy offers a supportive space to notice and understand patterns as they emerge emotionally, physically, and relationally. My approach is steady, attentive, and grounded in clinical care. Psychotherapy at Sacral Root is a regulated service and is distinct from non-clinical wellness offerings.
MODALITIES
My work draws from established, research-based frameworks that recognize the role of early experience, attachment, and nervous system functioning in shaping emotional life and relationships. I integrate:
Psychodynamic depth work
Explore how early experiences and relational patterns continue to shape your emotions, relationships, and sense of self in the present.
Relational & Interpersonal Neurobiology-informed
Understand how attachment, nervous system development, and cultural, social, and political experiences influence how you relate—to yourself, to others, and to the world around you.
Somatic-informed
Develop awareness of how emotion and stress live in the body, and learn ways to regulate, integrate, and restore a sense of safety, balance, and internal coherence.
Strength-focused & growth-oriented
Build on your existing resources and resilience, supporting meaningful shifts in perspective, behavior, and your sense of agency, meaning, and possibility.
This approach often resonates with people who are curious about their inner world and open to exploring their experience beyond surface-level solutions.
You don’t need to have everything figured out—only a willingness to slow down, notice what’s happening, and engage the process with honesty and compassion.
Many clients are interested in understanding how emotions, relationships, and the nervous system interact, and are open to body-based perspectives alongside talking. Even when things feel overwhelming or unclear, having some capacity for reflection allows the work to unfold with depth and care.
Primary Populations I Serve
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Anxiety often shows up as racing thoughts, chronic worry, or tension in the body—but it lives in the nervous system, not just the mind. Over time, anxiety can erode self-trust, leaving you second-guessing yourself or feeling unsure of your worth or decisions. Anxiety is shaped not only by personal history, but by living amidst uncertainty, cultural upheaval, or systemic stressors.
Common experiences I support:
Chronic or high-functioning anxiety
Existential anxiety related to uncertainty, safety, or the future
Relational anxiety and fear of getting it “wrong”
Low self-esteem, self-doubt, or inner criticism
Performance anxiety or panic attacks
Somatic anxiety (tight chest, GI distress, hypervigilance)
Difficulty trusting yourself, your voice, or your choices
My approach:
I help clients understand anxiety and low self-esteem as protective responses shaped by experience—not flaws to fix. Together, we explore how these patterns show up emotionally, cognitively, and in the body, while developing new ways of responding that support regulation, clarity, and self-trust. Over time, clients often feel more grounded, less driven by fear, and more confident in their decisions. -
Burnout often emerges from prolonged stress, blurred boundaries, and living in survival mode. Many clients intellectually understand their patterns yet feel unable to slow down—especially when care, responsibility, or moral concern feels unavoidable.
Common experiences I support:
Caregivers, helpers, clinicians, and creatives
Chronic over-giving or people-pleasing
Perfectionism or internalized pressure
Moral injury or exhaustion from caring deeply in misaligned systems
Difficulty resting or tuning into personal needs
My approach:
Therapy focuses on slowing down, restoring nervous system balance, and reconnecting with internal signals. We explore relational and developmental patterns that reinforce over-responsibility while strengthening the capacity to pause, set boundaries, and engage with life in a more sustainable, grounded way. -
Sexuality and intimacy are powerful pathways into understanding desire, attachment, boundaries, and the nervous system. Challenges in this area are often rooted in early relational experiences, shame, cultural messaging, or unspoken power dynamics—rather than a lack of knowledge or skill.
Common experiences I support:
Difficulty accessing desire or pleasure
Mismatched libido or erotic differences in relationships
Shame, anxiety, or avoidance around sex
Exploring sexual identity or orientation
Kink, power dynamics, and consensual non-traditional expressions of sexuality
Navigating alternative relationship structures (e.g., non-monogamy, polyamory)
Challenges with intimacy, vulnerability, or erotic communication
Healing sexual wounds, disconnection, or relational rupture
My approach:
I work with sexuality as an embodied, relational experience shaped by attachment, nervous system responses, lived experience, and context. Therapy offers a grounded, nonjudgmental space to explore desire, boundaries, and power with curiosity and care—at a pace that feels safe and respectful. -
Attachment patterns are often unconscious and embodied, shaping how we experience intimacy, boundaries, and connection. Because relational dynamics emerge in relationship, therapy offers a unique space to explore these patterns safely and in real time.
Common experiences I support:
Repeating relational patterns
Anxious or avoidant dynamics
Boundary or communication challenges
Fear of abandonment or intimacy
Over-giving / under-receiving
Co-dependency and lack of differentiation
My approach:
I help clients explore how early attachment experiences and relational histories show up in current relationships, intimacy, and self-expression. Through insight, embodied awareness, and relational work, clients develop greater self-trust, emotional safety, and capacity for authentic connection—both with others and themselves.
I work with individual adults and couples, and strive to offer an inclusive, affirming space for clients of all identities. My practice is welcoming to the LGBTQIA+ community and to those navigating alternative relationship structures, including polyamory and ethical non-monogamy, with attention to each person’s unique context and experience.
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Periods of transition often bring unconscious patterns to the surface and can stir grief, uncertainty, or disorientation. In times of collective instability, transitions may also disrupt meaning, belonging, and one’s sense of orientation in the world.
Common experiences I support:
Career changes or professional identity shifts
Entering, redefining, or ending relationships
Moving out of family systems or renegotiating boundaries
Developmental milestones (early adulthood, midlife, caregiving roles)
Grief related to loss, change, or unrealized futures
My approach:
I support clients in making sense of emotional, relational, and bodily responses that arise during transitions. Therapy helps clients honor what is being released, integrate evolving aspects of self, and move forward with clarity, grounded confidence, and self-trust. -
Depression is often linked to disconnection, unprocessed grief, or suppressed emotion. For many, it also reflects a loss of meaning, coherence, or connection in the face of ongoing stress or collective grief.
Common experiences I support:
Persistent low mood or loss of interest
Feeling disconnected from self or others
Grieving the loss of a loved one
Internalized self-criticism or shame
My approach:
Therapy focuses on understanding emotional and relational patterns while supporting safe expression, reconnection, and renewed engagement with life. More severe depression may require coordination with additional providers. -
Relational and developmental trauma can shape attachment, emotional regulation, and bodily awareness. This work emphasizes safety, pacing, and collaboration, making it well-suited for clients navigating the impacts of early or complex relational wounds.
Common experiences I support:
Complex or developmental trauma
Attachment wounds or relational trauma
Emotional neglect or chronic invalidation
Difficulty with trust, boundaries, or intimacy
My approach:
I help clients notice how trauma lives in the body, nervous system, and relationships, supporting integration at a pace that feels safe and empowering. Therapy focuses on grounding, relational repair, and strengthening self-trust—allowing clients to reclaim agency and experience greater ease, connection, and resilience. -
Anger is often misunderstood as something to manage or suppress, when in reality it is a protective response shaped by the nervous system, early experiences, unmet needs, and context. For many, anger also arises in response to injustice, boundary violations, or witnessing harm without adequate avenues for repair.
Common experiences I support:
Reactive or explosive anger
Irritability or short temper under stress
Anger that feels overwhelming or hard to regulate
Difficulty expressing anger without guilt, shame, or withdrawal
Anger connected to boundary violations or feeling unseen
Cycling between emotional suppression and emotional outbursts
My approach:
Rather than trying to eliminate anger, we work to understand what it’s signaling and how it lives in the body and nervous system. Over time, this supports clearer boundaries, more effective communication, and a felt sense of agency—allowing anger to become a source of information rather than disruption.
Chelsea Saunders, M.A., Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC) #
Practicing in the state of California
Supervised by Sara Kenney, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) #20060
321 N Larchmont Blvd Suite 622, Los Angeles, CA 90004
Your First Session
Our first session is a Clarity Session—a space to explore what brings you to therapy, discuss relevant history, and experience my approach. It also allows us to consider whether working together feels like a good fit.
If you decide to continue, this session becomes your first paid appointment. If not, there is no cost.
Fee: $195 standard rate
Limited sliding-scale spots available
Sessions are available online and in person in Los Angeles.
You are welcome here.
Many clients come to this work not because they are broken, but because they are awake—deeply affected by their relationships, histories, and the world they live in. Therapy here is not about adapting you to what hurts, but about supporting regulation, meaning, and agency so you can respond with greater clarity and self-trust.
So, what’s next?
If you’re feeling curious about working together, the next step is to schedule a complimentary clarity call here. This initial discussion offers a calm, low-pressure space to share what’s bringing you here, ask questions, and get a feel for how I work. There’s no expectation to know exactly what you are looking for—just an opportunity to see whether this partnership feels like the right support for you.