Hi, I’m Lucille Chaney, LCSW #128973
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker offering in-person therapy in Costa Mesa and virtual services throughout California. I provide individual therapy for adolescents and adults ages 12 and older, with a focus on anxiety and anxiety related to trauma. I specialize in helping clients manage chronic worry, panic, hypervigilance, and emotional overwhelm, particularly when shaped by past experiences. My approach is personalized, trauma-informed, and collaborative, creating a safe space where you feel heard, supported, and empowered to grow.
I hold a Master’s degree from California State University, Dominguez Hills, and a Bachelor’s degree from California State University, Fullerton. My clinical experience includes working both in community mental health and private practice settings, where I supported children, adolescents, and transitional age adults navigating complex emotional and relational challenges. I have extensive experience in high-acuity levels of care, including wraparound services and Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP), providing trauma-informed, collaborative treatment for individuals and families facing significant stressors. This background has shaped my ability to work thoughtfully with complex presentations while maintaining a grounded, compassionate, and strengths-based approach.
My Approach
Many clients come to therapy feeling trapped in anxious thought spirals, worries that snowball, leaving them overwhelmed, stuck, and unsure how to move forward. Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), mindfulness, and attachment-informed approaches, I help clients shift their relationship with anxious thoughts, build emotional safety, and respond with clarity and intentionality.
I also integrate attachment-focused work to explore how early relationships and relational patterns shape how you experience stress, safety, and connection today. Together, we develop tools to ground your body, cultivate present-moment awareness, and approach thoughts with curiosity and self-compassion, rather than getting pulled into rumination. My approach is collaborative and authentic, offering direct, constructive feedback while meeting you exactly where you are. I strive to create a safe, nonjudgmental space where you can explore your experiences, strengthen emotional resilience, and build strategies that truly fit your life—so you can move beyond spiraling and toward greater calm, clarity, and self-trust.
Common Symptoms I Treat
Excessive Worrying: Ongoing, uncontrollable worry about the future, safety, or everyday situations, often rooted in a need to feel prepared or protected.
Hypervigilance: Feeling constantly “on alert” or unable to relax, which is especially common in trauma-related anxiety.
Racing Thoughts: A nonstop stream of thoughts, fears, or “what-ifs” that can feel overwhelming and hard to manage.
Sleep Difficulties: Trouble falling asleep, frequent waking, or restless sleep — often accompanied by nightmares or flashbacks.
Physical Symptoms: Including rapid heartbeat, chest tightness, digestive issues, headaches, muscle tension, or a general sense of unease in the body.
Avoidance: Steering clear of people, places, or situations that trigger anxiety or memories of past trauma.
Irritability or Mood Swings: Feeling on edge, easily startled, or emotionally reactive, even in low-stress environments.
Difficulty Concentrating: Trouble focusing, memory lapses, or feeling mentally foggy — often a result of the nervous system being in a constant state of activation.