Meet the Partners

(She/Her or They/Them)

In her free time, Nichole is a strong advocate for disability rights and challenging others to “think outside the box” in the Madison Metropolitan School District. She is also a second generation public speaker and teacher, so she organically gravitates to and gets invited to speak at various events, classes, organizations, and conferences. Nichole is a co-parent of four children, two of their children have had significant medical challenges, complexities, and live with different abilities and challenges. These experiences, working through personal trauma in her own mental health therapy, as well as identifying in the LGBTQ+ community, inform her work as a psychotherapist, her advocacy work and her public speaking.

Nichole’s Notes about working with clients:

I like to use a more relaxed, not always serious, less “stuffy” approach to my work with clients. I like clients to see me as a guide for a portion of their journey. I carry some tools I will share to help you on your journey and I carry an objective, non-judgemental “light” to help you see things you might not otherwise see. I have had clients endearingly tell me that sometimes I will “carry a small flashlight and sometimes it’s a police spotlight”. From both my personal experience in therapy and several years working professionally with clients, I realize how difficult it is for humans to: change our old patterns of behavior; teach our nervous system to not over respond; and talk through and process the intensity of trauma.

THERAPY IS HARD WORK!

Therefore, I use and encourage several things to help encourage people through their hard work. For example, while I do use evidence-based tools, like deep breathing, meditation and mindfulness, I also like to use humor at appropriate times, not to avoid hard things, but more to help clients releave some pressure after things have been intense. Additionally, I encourage people to “get comfy”, whether that means taking your shoes off, bringing in a snack or drinks, coloring pictures together while we chat, or using fidgets for concentration or to dispell energy. I am also “famous” for sharing therapy memes and using analogies for encouragement, and to help people gain a deeper understanding about psychological concepts.

Overall, I view clients holistically, which means each person deserves a personalized approach. I am trained to view people through a trauma-informed psychodynamic, polyvagal theory, and systems approach. Yes, this is “therapy jargon”, it essentially means that I see you holistically, or more accurately whole-listically. I see you as a whole person and all the pieces that make you, your beautiful self! This includes your upbringing, all of the relationships and interactions you have had throughout your lifetime, the systems that you chose to be a part of and the systems that haven’t treated you as you deserve. This also includes all the identity groups you are a part of and the identity groups you’re exploring or questioning. It includes your future goals, your present struggles, and all of your history. And it includes all of your “parts” of self - social, intellectual, biological, sexual, psychological.

I believe therapy is a collaborative journey and I want clients to feel like they have a choice in the direction of their therapy. That also means, creating a safe emotional space to talk about goals, priorities, approaches, and anything that the client thinks needs to shift or change, even if that means changing to another therapist!

My Training and Associations:

• I have a Bachelor of Science with a focus on Health Psychology from Illinois State University.

• I have a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northwestern University.

• I have a “Licensed Professional Counselor” or LPC license from the state of Wisconsin.

• I have done post graduate specialized training in

  • Assessing and Treating Sex Issues in Psychotherapy

  • Alternative Relationship Structures (ENM/CNM, polyamory, swinging, etc.),

  • Eye-Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR).

  • I am a member of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT) and the Association of Counseling Sexuality and Sexual Wellness (ACSSW).

Kathleen (Katie) has been working as a clincial psychotherapist for over 20 years. In her experience, she has walked alongside people across the lifespan. She specializes in relationship therapy and offers trauma-informed care with a deep commitment to LGBTQ+ affirming, neurodiversity-affirming therapy, and supporting individuals and relationships within ethical non-monogamy.