(she/her)
Hi there – I’m Nicole, a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Connecticut. I’m so glad you’re here. I specialize in working with children, adolescents, and young adults, and I am deeply passionate about helping clients navigate life’s challenges in a way that feels authentic, empowering, and healing. I bring extensive experience from both outpatient and residential settings, including my current role as a Trauma Therapist supporting adolescents with co-occurring mental health and behavioral disorders. My style is warm, collaborative, and client-centered. I know that each person has a unique story, set of strengths, and way of processing the world. I work integratively, drawing from a variety of evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Therapy, and trauma-informed care. to tailor treatment that fits you. Therapy with me is not one-size-fits-all; I personalize each session to reflect your goals, your voice, and your pace. Whether you’re seeking therapy for yourself or a loved one, I’m here to support you every step of the way.
In our work together, you can expect a safe, supportive, and non-judgmental environment where you feel heard, respected, and empowered. During our first session, we’ll explore what brings you to therapy and begin crafting a personalized treatment plan based on your goals and preferences. I also conduct a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment to better understand the full picture—biological, psychological, and social factors that may be impacting your well-being. SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) are collaboratively set to ensure our work stays aligned with your evolving needs.
I take pride in my ability to really listen, tailor interventions to your unique needs, and consistently pursue ongoing education to stay at the forefront of my field. Building a genuine connection with my clients is a strength of mine, providing a comforting and safe space where you can openly share and express yourself.
I love working with children and teens, helping them reconnect with their inner strengths and develop new tools for managing life’s difficulties. My goal is to foster resilience, self-awareness, and confidence so clients can move forward with balance and purpose.
Nicole Martino offers therapy covered by Husky Health and Medicaid in Connecticut.
CBT, in particular, is a powerful tool I often use to help clients identify and shift unhelpful thought patterns that may be contributing to anxiety, depression, trauma responses, low self-esteem, or other challenges. By becoming more aware of how your thoughts influence your emotions and behaviors, you can begin to create real, lasting change.
I support my clients by utilizing an integrative approach incorporating Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, mindfulness, psychodynamic therapy, positive psychology, and motivational interviewing in my sessions. I believe in collaborating with my clients by utilizing a strength-based and client-centered modality so that they can develop a growth mindset and have a deeper understanding of themselves as they explore new skills to make positive changes. With DBT, you will begin to learn life skills which include mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance and interpersonal effectiveness. I will support you to work past the challenges of ineffective thinking patterns and emotional extremes that may be holding you back and impacting your daily functioning.
Experiential Therapy involves activities such as, but not limited to, music, or art to process negative emotions. I have over 5 years of experience utilizing this creative approach with individuals who may struggle with communicating their thoughts and feelings and have found this treatment method to be beneficial. Children specifically tend to benefit from engaging an experiential therapy model to support them with accessing feelings that may otherwise be hidden or not easily communicated.
Strength-based therapy is a type of positive psychotherapy that focuses on the clients internal strengths and resourcefulness, rather than weaknesses, failures, and shortcomings. The objective of the strengths-based approach is to protect the individual's independence, resilience, ability to make choices and wellbeing.