Nicole grew up in the Northern suburbs of Chicago. Being a first-generation American coming from a Jamaican ethnic background, she was the first in her family to go college. She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology, Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology, and a criminology certificate at Northern Illinois University in 2018, right after undergrad, Nicky decided to pursue higher education and obtained her Master’s of Science in Applied Human Development and Family Sciences with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy in 2020. During her master’s program, Nicky became formally trained in levels 1 and 2 of the Gottman Method as well as Prepare and Enrich for couples. Also, during her time in graduate school, Nicole worked at a local homeless shelter where she was able to assist families and individuals, both young and old, with adjusting to various stages of their lives while re-building relationships with others and trying to improve themselves individually. This helped her grow her love for working with others and helping be an agent to facilitate change both individually and relationally.
As a marriage and family therapist, Nicole is able to work with so many different types of clients. Whether it be couples, individuals, families, teens, etc., being a therapist who continually strives to be multiculturally competent, she is able to work with clients of various races and ethnicities, religions and spirituality, sexual orientations, gender identity/expression, and socioeconomic status as well.
Nicole pushes her clients to grow and strive to be the best version of themselves through a combination of empathy, authenticity, relatability, and directness. Her empathy, transparency, and humorous nature allow clients to quickly establish a therapeutic connection with her. Nicky’s objective is to help her clients achieve their goals, whether independent or relational, in the most efficient way possible while feeling supported throughout the whole process. She strongly believes in validating my client’s experiences and emotions in therapy while also challenging them to promote growth. When working with clients, Nicole emphasizes that for change to be made, each person must recognize that they ultimately have control of how they respond to situations. She helps her clients change how they think and respond to challenging situations to increase their ability to connect emotionally with others. By providing a safe, warm, and welcoming space for clients to be vulnerable, Nicky helps them explore and address areas of concern while also providing tools and resources to help them reach their goals.
“Everyone has gone through something and you may even be going through something right now, which is what probably led you here. My goal is to help you strive to be your best self and feel confident in navigating whatever challenges life may bring. I won’t lie, some sessions may be challenging. Emotions, and life, can be hard sometimes; They can be difficult to navigate, but one thing I do know is that you won’t be alone! I’m here to help you through it. Now, I’m not some magic fairy who waves a wand a makes it all better (if I could, I would), but I am a professional who is competent in this field. I’m also a human who has had their personal experiences and can empathize with you. You deserve to live a life that you are genuinely happy with and I hope to cultivate a therapeutic experience unique to you and what you need.”