Nicole Ladner
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and psychotherapist who works collaboratively with clients desiring personal growth and a renewed sense of purpose while navigating personal stressors, relationship challenges, and life transitions. Clinical experience has included serving children, adolescents, young adults, mid-life to older adults, and families through non-profit organizations, schools, county mental health and crisis services, ambulatory care, and online therapy platforms. My approach is grounded in Strengths-Based, Solution-Focused, Narrative, Mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Client-Centered, and Trauma-Informed modalities. My goal is to provide a supportive, compassionate space where clients can gain clarity, strengthen their sense of self, and move through transitions with greater confidence and intention. Together, we explore challenges, build on existing strengths, develop practical strategies, and create meaningful change. Licensed by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences and a member of the National Association of Social Workers. Availability: Part-Time, EVENINGS - 6pm, 7pm, 8pm, and 9pm where openings are observed. No holidays or weekends. Reschedules considered based on availability which may fluctuate.
I believe that even the smallest step deserves to be celebrated, and I seek to assist my clients in realizing their strengths, possibilities and every stepping stone reached towards their desired destinations.
Weekly, recurring sessions, same day/time slots are highly advised to avoid losing your preferred time slot to other potential clients who are searching for openings. Note: It is THE CLIENT'S responsibility to cancel appts in advance, prior to the day of service, to avoid late cancellation/no-show fees. More than one missed session/month, or two consecutive misses/cancellations can be grounds for termination or losing your scheduled time slot.
First session
My therapeutic stance is to provide emotional safety for sharing what brings you to therapy - your journey, your challenges, and your desired outcomes in life without fear of judgment, and to collaborate with you on therapeutic goals that will support healing, overcoming personal barriers, and achieving personal growth.
Strengths
Colleagues and clients have described me as warm, caring, empathic, encouraging, intuitive, observant, optimistic and realistic. I seek to affirm and assist my clients in recognizing their strengths, believing in possibilities, and embracing every steppingstone towards a desired destination. Every client is different, so I incorporate strategies that best suit a client's goals of interest and clinical needs. Clients who feel "stuck," overwhelmed, and vulnerable are gently challenged to build resilience, increased confidence, and the realization that they are capable of overcoming their perceived limitations and struggles of the past.
Ideal clients
Clients I work well with may struggle with anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, self-esteem, self-confidence, finding their way forward from stressful life situations, and healing from prior, unhealthy relationships. My clients may have neglected themselves in service to others and find themselves feeling increasingly empty, burned out, isolated, or without a sense of value in their relationships, careers, and life accomplishments. My clients are seeking to find their way again, a new sense of identity, life purpose, enthusiasm, and joy by learning healthy coping strategies for managing stress, loss, and vulnerability, utilizing personal strengths, and activating personal values to reach higher levels of life satisfaction. My clients are aware of their self-worth, seeking to heal, feel whole again, and more present in daily living, and are ready to show up for themselves and do the work.
Treatment methods
Strength-Based
Every client has unique strengths, sometimes unrealized, that can be engaged as part of their journey towards emotional healing and success. Empowering clients through discovery and engaging their immediate resources helps to support therapeutic goals such as increasing self-esteem, building confidence and hope for the future, coping with life stressors, and recovering from traumatic life experiences.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Clients are often unaware of the connection between their thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Negative or irrational thinking, difficult emotions and self-defeating behaviors all have the potential for getting in the way of one’s success and well-being. I support my clients in understanding how these intertwine and play a role in their personal life experiences, and discovering healthy ways of responding to stressors to improve mood, overall functioning and increasing potential for more positive outcomes in one’s life.
Narrative
Everyone has a unique story. Sometimes, a traumatic past may feel emotionally draining and may negatively impact one's sense of identity and hope for the future. Though it has an impact on one's life, the past does not have to define one's present or future. Everyone has the capacity to define and rewrite their own story and to choose how the past will inform their lives moving ahead. Narrative therapy is an opportunity to explore one's journey and gain a new lens through which to view oneself and live life more fully, with a new sense of identity, feelings of empowerment, and self-compassion.
Solution-Focused Brief Treatment
When overwhelmed with stressors, the ability to identify solutions to a problem can positively impact one's wellbeing. Clients are unaware that they have the ability to find solutions utilizing their own strengths, ideas, values, abilities, and other available resources. Solution-focused therapy is shorter in duration but gets straight to the point, empowering the individual to develop a plan for managing various challenges and reaching personal goals.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
Top specialties
Other specialties
Serves
Licensed in
- CaliforniaLicense 80028