Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsea Horton
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
In 2017, I graduated with my Master’s Degree in Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling. I followed the traditional route of working at a behavioral health center for 2 years after graduation. I loved the work I got to do with people – helping them heal by connecting them with their bodies in the most profound ways. But the system I worked in was quickly leading me to burnout, compassion fatigue, and overwhelm. I knew I couldn’t stay in the system any longer. I was afraid to leave the traditional path of “success.” Get the degree, get a job in my field, and do that forever.
I wanted to create a career that not only supported others, but supported me, too. I wanted to do work that lit me up instead of burned me out. I took the terrifying leap of starting my own online company, Healing Embodied, in 2019.
Over the last 5 years, I’ve worked with thousands of people. The impact of our work has gained so much recognition that people were asking me how they could do the kind of work I did. How could they have a career in somatic healing?
For the first several years, my only answer was to get a Master’s Degree or a random string of certifications.
This was when I realized there was a huge gap in the Somatic Healing training industry. Not everyone wants to go the traditional route and work in the clinical field. And many somatic coaching certifications are too short, or don’t actually equip you to effectively work with people’s emotions in their bodies. This was when I created the first-of-its-kind Somatic Certification program, The Healing Embodied Practitioner Training Program. We got it internationally accredited through the Complementary Therapists Accreditation Association, and have been training students from Canada, New Zealand, the US and beyond. I know that I was meant to do this and have this kind of impact.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not. Where do I even begin? Ha! The road to carving my own path has been the most rewarding and challenging thing I’ve ever experienced. It has challenged me to face many fears about money, success, and my own self-worth. I have had to take scary risks, and put myself out there with no guarantees. I think that’s the most challenging part of it all. I’ve had to really trust myself and my vision in the face of continual uncertainty. It can be a really emotional journey. I’ve had to use all of the skills and processes that I’ve taught my clients over the years. I’ve had to reach deep inside of myself to find the courage when all of my fears are telling me to call it quits. This has made me grow so much as a person.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We specialize in helping people heal their fears, insecurities, and limiting beliefs by helping them process their emotions through their body. Many people try to create change through their mind alone, but the thoughts you think are only the tip of the iceberg. Your body is what stores your experiences, subconscious beliefs, and emotional patterns. We not only teach people how to identify emotions in their bodies, we invite them into a creative relationship with them. The emotions become something they can creatively express and transform. They can create new outcomes, possibilities, and patterns in their lives through movement, imagery, dramatization, and other creative modalities.
We are known for our unique approach to healing relationships. Clients come to us feeling stuck in their relational patterns, and leave feeling completely transformed. Many describe our work as “magic.”
I am proud of the impact we’ve had on our clients. Our work has been so transformative for people’s relationships, that me and my team have been invited to several clients’ weddings!
Many of our clients were so impacted by our work, that they wanted to do what we do for a living. They became some of our first Practitioner Training students. There is no greater compliment than that.
What sets us apart is that we live the work that we teach. We meet our own emotions, darkness, and discomfort. We don’t pretend that we have all the answers. We don’t paint this picture that we are “perfectly healed” or somehow above the human experience. This is something that has such a positive impact on our clients and practitioner students.
What are your plans for the future?
I have such an exciting image of the future. I want to put more focus into our certification program so that it becomes the go-to training for those who want a career in creative somatic work. This matters so much to me, because I want there to be more ethical, effective, and empowering healers out there. I know that our training program will be part of a much needed change in the mental health and healing industries. I want to make a big impact on the world by training other practitioners to do the most life-changing work with their clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.healingembodied.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healing.embodied/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healing.embodied
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@healingembodied
