Thank you for reviewing my profile. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) of 25 years. I am licensed in TN and KY. I have worked with preschoolers, children, adolescents, adults, couple's and families in various settings including residential treatment facilities, outpatient clinics, community action agencies, school-based therapy, telehealth, and private practice both in-office and through telehealth. I also taught trauma in the family and treating diverse population classes to students in the Master's degree program for Marriage and Family Therapists at Medaille College in Buffalo, New York. I have lived in Upstate, New York, Western, KY and East Tennessee and currently reside in an equine community on the Big South Fork National Forest in Tennessee. I am also trained and was previously certified in Equine Assisted Psychotherapy through the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA), and was previously certified as a Trauma Specialist through the Association of Traumatic Stress Specialist (ATSS). Both certifications required extensive training which I continue to utilize as applicable, however, keeping the certifications active did not add specific value to my practice. I am an avid horse rider and have a love for animals. I view my abilities and opportunities to help others through their journeys of recovery and life improvement as a great privilege that feeds my soul.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
During our first session, informed consent will be provided, meaning I will provide information about confidentiality and the limits of confidentiality in mental health treatment, privacy policies, financial policies, and practice policies. I will ensure your identity (I will ask for a photo ID) and I will ask your location each time if I don't recognize your background, for safety. I will provide you information about my qualifications and approach to treatment and allow you to ask any questions about my professional stance and I will show you a copy of my license to practice in your state. I will review the risks of therapy via telehealth and discuss what we will do in the event of technical difficulties, scheduling, and discuss how you may contact me between sessions if needed. If relevant to you, I will ensure you have crisis numbers and have resources in your area. Then, I will be asking you a lot of questions about what is happening in your life, what you are experiencing, your current family and living situation, education and employment, your childhood family and experiences, medical conditions and medications, any use of alcohol or other substances, family health history relevant to mental health, cultural concerns, and any risk behaviors or significant losses. I will inform you of my clinical impression and what treatment approach I believe to be most effective according to the information you share with me. I will then facilitate development of your clear goals for entering therapy, which will be driven by you, and we will decide together how often we will meet and schedule our follow-up appointments.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
Listening and engagement, knowledge of psychology, human development, and relationship dynamics competent treatment provision, ethical practice, crisis intervention, cultural competence, and trauma-informed care and treatment. 25 years experience.
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
Adults (18+) with depression, anxiety, PTST or other trauma-related disorders, marital discord, family conflict, and general life stress (vocational, relational, financial, social, grief) that are not high risk (exclusionary criteria: high risk suicidal ideation or behaviors, recent attempt or inpatient hospitalization within the last 2 months, current SI, active addictions, recurrent violence toward others, high risk self-harm, critical eating disorder), which are all better addressed in an in-person setting for safety.
About Raquel Nichols
Specializes in
Serves ages
Accepts
Appointments
VirtualMy treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
CBT is my primary approach as it applies to a variety of presenting problems I encounter in my work including anxiety, depression, and trauma(trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)), beginning with psycho-education related to symptoms and physiological components, how thoughts impact emotional states and subsequent behavioral choices often including emotionally-driven behaviors, and methods to restructure thinking and increase cognitive flexibility, regulate emotions, and choose behaviors that bring desired long-term outcomes. TF-CBT also includes resourcing and interventions specific to trauma and it's impact.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I often implement strategies and techniques from DBT to increase emotional regulation and interpersonal skills. Mindfulness is generally an effective skill across presenting problems and is a strong resource for developing effective coping mechanisms.
Psychodynamic
I incorporate components of psychodynamic therapy to increase insight and facilitate self-forgiveness, providing understanding of how one's history has shaped current beliefs and behaviors and putting a definition to some experiences, reactions and continued patterns of interacting with others. Once triggers and counterproductive responses are brought to awareness, it becomes possible to effectively diffuse them and be intentional in shifting and altering continued reactions to them.
Psychoeducation
Providing information in regard to diagnosis, treatment approaches, human development, medications, and physiology empowers people to make informed decisions about their care and to understand how to manage that care, as well as understanding the benefit and risks of options available for recovery.
Couples Counseling
I incorporate techniques from CBT and systemic approaches, as well as skill building (communication, conflict resolution, goal setting, sensate-focused exercises, family structuring, boundary setting, relational problem solving, financial decision-making, parenting) into my work with couples and partnered individuals in various relationship structures.