I am extremely passionate about empowering individuals and therapists/associates to heal and live their best, most authentic lives. I strongly believe that each and every individual, regardless of background, ability, or beliefs, should have a safe space where they can feel comfortable being their true self. I know that sitting across from someone with similar experiences can help to build trust and promote connection, and am therefore deeply committed to holding space for womxn and people of color.
You can expect me to be open and willing to answer any questions and address any concerns you may have. You can also expect me to collaborate with you to create a safe, supportive and nonjudgemental environment that meets your needs. I always encourage clients to let me know what works and doesn't work for you. Lastly, you can expect that I will never work harder than you at your therapy goals.
I deeply value the therapeutic relationship between client and therapist and pride myself on fostering a safe, judgement-free environment for all clients to share their truths. I would love the opportunity to work with and help you move away from that which is plaguing you; toward a life of healing and thriving.
I serve individuals, adults, older adults & teens/TAY (13-26yrs). While I am open to helping as many as I can, my areas of specialty include: life transitions, depression, anxiety, challenges with identity and self-esteem, chronic illness, coping with trauma & adverse experiences, relationships & intimacy, women's empowerment, cultural challenges, grief & loss, and LGBTQIA+ issues.
Shaina Nicholson offers therapy covered by Central California Alliance for Health (Medi-Cal), Gold Coast Health Plan (Medi-Cal), Health Plan of San Joaquin - Medi-Cal, L.A. Care Health Plan (Medi-Cal), Orange County Mental Health Plan (Medi-Cal), Partnership HealthPlan of California (Medi-Cal) and San Francisco Health Plan (Medi-Cal) in California.
I prefer to meet clients where they are so I'm willing to use any and every tool in my toolkit needed (or requested) to support my clients.
I pride myself on creating a safe and supportive environment where clients can show up authentically and don't have to over explain their experience to be understood or validated.
"Where you look affects how you feel." Brainspotting is a psycho-somatic treatment modality that uses eye positioning to access areas of the brain where traumatic and distressing memories are stored.
CBT is a treatment approach I utilize most frequently due to its being an appropriate approach to treat a multitude of symptoms and and mental health conditions while being easily understood and implemented.
Trauma Informed care is a necessity in this line of work. I have no intentions of doing more harm or retraumatizing any of my clients. I insist on prioritizing clients' safety through transparency, empowerment, collaboration and cultural competency.