LCSW, 6 years of experience
Welcome to Hope, Strength, & Resiliency Counseling Services LLC! I'm Nichola Lydon, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC), and Certified Peer Recovery Specialist. I hold a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Montclair State University. With over six years of experience, I’ve had the privilege of working with individuals from diverse backgrounds, supporting them through a range of challenges and celebrating their growth along the way. I genuinely love the work I do—and there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing my clients overcome obstacles and thrive. My approach is straightforward, honest, and rooted in compassion. I believe in having the hard conversations when they’re needed, and I’m here to challenge you to grow—but always with empathy, respect, and unwavering support. My office is a safe, judgment-free, and stigma-free space where you can truly be yourself. This is your time to begin a new chapter. If you’re ready to do the work, I’m here to walk beside you every step of the way. Let’s rise to the challenge—together.
Our first session is all about building a foundation of trust and understanding. I’ll take the time to get to know you—your history, your experiences, and the reasons that brought you to therapy. Together, we’ll explore your goals and begin outlining what you’d like to achieve during our work together. When you step into a session with me, you’re entering a space that is 100% stigma-free and judgment-free. I am committed to creating a safe, respectful environment where you can speak openly and be met with empathy and understanding. My role is not to judge, but to support and guide you on your path toward healing and well-being.
One of my greatest strengths as a clinician is my ability to build meaningful, authentic connections with my clients. I approach each individual from a place of empathy, respect, and deep understanding, creating a therapeutic environment that fosters trust and growth. Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of working with a wide range of populations and diagnoses—including anxiety, depression, PTSD and trauma, schizophrenia, perinatal mental health and postpartum depression, as well as substance use disorders. Regardless of the presenting issue, every client receives my full attention and the highest standard of care. I believe in treating each person with the same level of compassion and dedication that I would want for my own loved ones. This philosophy guides my practice and ensures that every client feels seen, heard, and genuinely supported.
There isn’t a population I don’t enjoy working with—each individual brings a unique story, and I consider it a privilege to be part of their journey. I specialize in working with clients diagnosed with Substance Use Disorders, Schizophrenia, postpartum depression, and co-occurring disorders that involve both substance use and mental health challenges. The saying “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life” truly resonates with me. This work is not just a career—it’s my passion. My goal is to empower clients by helping them develop practical, lasting coping strategies they can carry with them well beyond our time together. I approach every session with empathy, understanding, and a commitment to creating a safe, stigma-free, and judgment-free space. This supportive environment helps clients feel at ease, allowing for meaningful and productive work to take place.
I utilize CBT with clients to assist clients in reducing symptoms by changing the thought process. Often times, we send ourselves negative messages. CBT helps retrain the brain to think differently. When utilizing CBT with diagnosis such as depression and anxiety it helps reduce symptoms. CBT is also effective when working with substance use and co-occurring disorders.
Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an intervention I utilize for both my clients and myself. MI helps me help my clients. I am able to gain a better understanding of my clients and the needs of my clients. In addition, my clients gain a better understanding of their own needs. When utilizing MI with clients, the clients in return become more motivated to achieve goals that they may have been a little resistant to working on.
Eclectic therapy is a wonderful evidence based treatment. This allows me to utilize multiple evidence based treatments/therapies to assist clients in their treatment. No client is the same as the next client. No one client has the same story. Therefore, no one therapy technique is perfect for every client. This type of therapy allows me to utilize multiple treatments with clients. For example, I may utilize Strength-Based Therapy, Person-centered therapy, and CBT together. The combinations are in abundance to help clients gain coping skills to cope with issues in their lives.
Person-centered therapy allows for the client to grow through self-determination and realization of ones own strength. This helps clients discovery their own strengths and positive attributes while exploring themselves.
I utilize trauma informed care in many areas of my work. Often times, we come to therapy due to a trauma. Trauma Informed Care helps me treat my clients who have experienced trauma from a different perspective. I am able to assist my clients in mood/emotion regulation and gaining coping skills by utilizing the Five Guiding Principles of TIC. The Five Guiding Principles are: safety, choice, collaboration, trustworthiness, and empowerment.
1 rating with written reviews
June 13, 2025
Nichola is amazing and helped me through very rough times. She takes the time to listen and really understand my needs. She is thoughtful and caring and will do whatever it takes to help. I am so blessed to have met her and worked with her.