Bailey Cheshire

MA, LMFTA. (any pronouns) Individual, Relational, and Sex Therapist

I am a systemic therapist who approaches clients with curiosity and compassion, providing a judgment-free, anti-oppressive, and trauma-informed space. Together, we will move at your pace, aiming to build clarity and confidence in your most authentic self. My collaborative, playful yet intentional style respects that you are the expert in your life. I bring expertise in relationships, communication, boundaries, stuck patterns, bodily attunement, and trauma, which can help shift the issues that led you to seek therapy. We will set realistic, practical goals and work towards them, allowing room for detours as needed.

What You Can Expect

While all issues of sexual health are welcome in my treatment room, I particularly enjoy working with concerns related to:

Gender exploration: Two-Spirit, trans, non-binary, gender diverse identities, questioning, etc..
Sexual expression: suppression of sexuality, better-understanding fantasies, questioning/changing sexual identity, etc.
Alternative relationship structures: ethical non-monogamy, polyamory, swinging, relationship anarchy, etc.
Mixed-orientation relationships: asexual/allosexual, kinky/vanilla, queer/straight, etc.
Kink and BDSM: those experienced in kink who have gotten stuck or those interested in exploring but don’t know where to start.
Sexual/medical trauma: developing coping skills, enhancing mind/body connection, improving boundary-setting and self-advocacy
Discernment Counseling: for those uncertain about whether or not to end a long-term relationship (more information below).

I use approaches that focus on emotional understanding and bodily attunement, including Polyvagal Theory, Attachment Theory, Emotion-Focused Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, and Internal Family Systems. If you don’t know what any of that means, you’re not alone! With the support of these modalities, I work to create a safe space where you can connect with your body, unpack the challenges of everyday life, better understand yourself and your relationships, and hopefully find more ease.

I also offer Discernment Counseling for couples and individuals considering divorce or separation or unsure whether couples therapy can help them. Discernment Counseling is like “pre-therapy” work for clients uncertain about whether to end a long-term relationship. I will help you navigate one of three choices: keep things as they are, take breaking up off the table and do six months of intensive therapy, or confidently choose to break up with more clarity. Please indicate in your request if you are looking for discernment work, as this is very different from couples therapy.

My Story

I was born and raised in Eugene, Oregon, and moved to Seattle for my Master’s in Couple and Family Therapy in the Summer of 2020. While Eugene will always have a special place in my heart, Seattle is where I feel like the most vibrant version of myself and where my freak flag flies. I sought to become a therapist as someone who felt broken and wondered if learning therapeutic skills would heal me while I learn to assist others in healing (spoiler alert: healing is a journey, not a destination!). Since then, I have made a lot of progress on my healing journey and get so much joy and fulfillment from helping others access this healing. The book ‘Pleasure Activism’ by adrienne maree brown was my awakening to the liberation available through deepening our relationship with sexuality. The book taught me that owning the most authentic version of myself is a form of resistance against oppressive forces and gave me permission to come out later in life as bisexual and genderqueer. Since then, I have continued to practice a sense of curiosity toward myself and others that makes space for ongoing changes in how we understand ourselves and the world around us.

Interests

Outside the therapy room, you can catch me spending time with my loved ones (including my pit/corgi mix, Alfie, and tuxedo cat, Mack), practicing yoga, reading, embroidering, playing video games, or enjoying the flowers at Pike Place Market.

Books I Suggest

Trainings

Somatic Sexual Healing with Charlie Glickman, January 2024

Discernment Counseling for Couples Considering Divorce with Bill Doherty and Steve Harris, January 2024

Sensate Focused Mindful Touch with Linda Weiner, December 2023
Intersections of Sex and OCD with Dr. Shereen Morse, August 2023

200hr Yoga Teacher Training with Soul Care, September 2023
The Stress We Carry: Identifying and Navigating Latinx Factors of Stress and Their Impact on Health Outcomes with Dr. Kiersten DeWitt, April 2023
Trauma Treatment Certification Training with Janina Fisher, April 2023
Supporting Clients with Fertility Issues with Dr. Jennifer Sampson Sept 2022
Intro to Pelvic Floor Health for Sexuality Professionals with Dr. Darshana Naik, July 2021