Chelsea Elkind, M.S., OTR/L
Co-Founder | Occupational Therapist
Chelsea is a licensed occupational therapist with over a decade of experience supporting individuals with a wide range of neurologic diagnoses. Her work spans with both neurodivergent individuals, including those with autism, ADHD, OCD, NVLD, and executive functioning challenges, and those recovering from neurologic injuries and conditions such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), Stroke, Parkinson’s Disease, Dementia/Alzheimer’s Disease, and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Chelsea is dedicated to helping her clients build meaningful skills, boost confidence, and develop personalized strategies that align with their unique cognitive needs and strengths.
Chelsea specializes in working with clients on:
- Building, remediating, and compensating for executive functioning skills (like planning, organization, inhibitory control, and time management)
- Strengthening flexibility and working memory
- Developing independent living skills (home management, work life, relationship building)
- Navigating everyday challenges through exploration of real-world strategies
A big part of Chelsea’s work draws on the Multicontext Approach, a framework that helps people develop self-awareness and cognitive strategies they can use across all areas of life. Chelsea’s approach is strengths-based, collaborative, and grounded in deep respect for neurodivergent ways of thinking: supporting clients in discovering personalized strategies that honor their unique cognitive patterns and help them thrive in daily life.
Chelsea earned her Master’s in Occupational Therapy from the University of New Hampshire and completed the first AOTA-accredited residency program in acute care at the University of Chicago Medical Center. In addition to working directly with clients, Chelsea has held leadership roles at major NYC hospitals (NYU Langone/Rusk Rehabilitation and NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell), was adjunct faculty for the graduate occupational therapy programs at Mercy College and NYU and continues to lead national and international continuing education courses on cognition and cognitive treatment approaches. She’s also contributed to national research on cognitive rehabilitation and has presented her work at multiple conferences, including the Annual Conference for Rehabilitative Medicine (ACRM) and the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Conference.
Along the way, Chelsea saw firsthand how often traditional healthcare systems overlook or misunderstand the needs of neurodivergent individuals, whether through rigid structures, pathologizing language, or one-size-fits-all approaches. This realization sparked a deep and lasting commitment to reimagining therapy spaces as inclusive, flexible, and empowering environments where neurodivergent people feel seen, heard, and supported on their own terms. She’s been passionate ever since about creating affirming care that honors each person’s lived experience and fosters genuine connection, autonomy, and growth.
At her core, Chelsea is most passionate about helping neurodivergent people build skills for independence, connection, and joy on their own terms.
Areas of Expertise
Children, adolescents, young adults, and adults
Autism
ADHD
Neurological disorders
Executive functioning
Memory
Metacognition and awareness
Cognitive Strategy-Based Training
College and work-related responsibilities
Social skills and communication
Problem solving
Independent living skills
Self-care
Perspective Taking and Flexibility
Time management
Money management
Establishing healthy habits
Sleep hygiene
Nutrition and cooking
Exercise
Cleaning