Theresa Chesnut, LCSW

Theresa Chesnut, LCSW, CEDS-S is a passionate and dedicated therapist with over 30 years of experience with clients with eating disorders and trauma. She maintains a private practice in Northern California and demonstrates her leadership and entrepreneurial skills as the founder/owner of The Chesnut Group, which has locations in California and Indiana.

Professional Experience

Theresa, a Level One Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapist trained by Dr. Richard Schwartz in 2002, offers consultation and supervision to other therapists. Her unique perspective, deeply informed by her own lived experience of having and recovering from an eating disorder, fuels her empathetic and effective approach to treatment and healing from eating disorders.

In addition to her private and group practices, Theresa partners with Holly’s House, a Child Advocacy Center in Evansville, IN, where she oversees and supervises therapists working with children and adolescents who have experienced trauma. Her team is trained in CF-TSI (Child and Family Traumatic Stress Interventions) and TF-CBT to support these clients.

Before establishing her private practice, Theresa was the Clinical Director at The Healthy Teen Project, an adolescent eating disorder-specific outpatient clinic. She also spent 13 years at Castlewood Treatment Center, where she held various roles, including Program Director, individual and group Therapist, and MSW Intern Supervisor. At Castlewood, she played a key role in starting new programs, training staff, overseeing operations and expanding existing practices into new geographic locations.

Theresa lectures locally and nationally on therapeutic interventions targeting the entire eating disorder recovery process. She hosts the annual Tri-State Eating Disorder Conference in Evansville, IN, and has lectured on college campuses to students and allied professionals on symptom identification and eating disorder prevention. She is also trained in Family-Based Therapy (FBT) and emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT).

Her professional outreach has included training elite athletes, coaches, and trainers on the signs and symptoms of disordered eating and collaborating with high schools and universities in these areas. Theresa holds a master’s degree in social work from the University of Kansas and has served as a staff member of the Menninger Clinic. She has also held leadership roles for the Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA), including Secretary, Vice-Chair, and Chair, where she was a board member from 2009-2015

Services Provided

Theresa provides individual therapy for children, teens, & adults in California as well as consultation services to family members wanting to better support their loved one. In addition to working directly with clients, Theresa offers clinical training and consultation services to professionals. She is particularly skilled in training other professionals on Internal Family Systems Therapy and how to structure the treatment of Eating Disorders.

Qualifications

School: University of Kansas

Year Graduated: 1992

License No. and State: Licensed LCSW in California & Missouri. #68696 California.

Professional Organization Memberships: Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA), National Association of Social Workers (NASW), International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals Foundation (iaedp)