Areas of Practice
Nick sees a wide variety of clients, but primarily specializes in the following age groups and needs:
Adolescence, ages 13-19
Young adults, ages 20-35
Middle adults, ages 36-55
Addiction
Christian counseling — for people who would like to incorporate their faith into the therapeutic process
An Integrated Approach to Counseling
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
CBT is a common type of talk therapy in which helps the client become aware of inaccurate or negative thinking so you can view challenging situations more clearly and respond to them in a more effective way.
CBT is a form of psychological treatment that has been demonstrated to be effective for a range of problems including depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol and drug use problems, marital problems, eating disorders and severe mental illness. Numerous research studies suggest that CBT leads to significant improvement in functioning and quality of life. In many studies, CBT has been demonstrated to be as effective as, or more effective than, other forms of psychological therapy or psychiatric medications.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT provides clients with new skills to manage painful emotions and decrease conflict in relationships. DBT specifically focuses on providing therapeutic skills in four key areas: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
DBT is used successfully to treat clients experiencing borderline personality disorder, depression, bulimia, binge-eating, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic-stress disorder, and substance abuse. DBT has the capability of helping those who wish to improve their ability to regulate emotions, tolerate distress and negative emotion, be mindful and present in the given moment, and communicate and interact effectively with others.
Mindfulness Approach
The mindfulness-based therapeutic approach promotes good physical and mental health, designed to deliberately focus a client’s attention on the present experience in a way that is non-judgmental. Mindfulness practices are able to help clients better control their thoughts and emotions, rather than be controlled by them.
Mindfulness is often incorporated into other therapeutic modalities as part of an integrated approach to treatment. Mindfulness-based interventions are generally aimed at relieving symptoms of stress and can be used to address and treat a range of symptoms and concerns.
Motivational Interviewing
Motivational interviewing is a counseling method that helps people resolve ambivalent feelings and insecurities to find the internal motivation they need to change their behavior. It is a practical, empathetic, and short-term process that takes into consideration how difficult it is to make life changes.
BiblioTherapy
Bibliotherapy is a creative arts therapy that involves storytelling or the reading of specific texts with the purpose of healing. It uses the client’s relationship to the content of books, poetry, and other written words as therapy. Bibliotherapy is often combined with writing therapy, or journaling.
Christian Faith-Based Counseling
Faith-based counseling provide psychological support and counseling services, combining theology and spirituality with theories of modern behavioral science.
For clients with strong spiritual beliefs who want those beliefs to be incorporated into their counseling experience, a counselor who shares the client’s same worldview may be very important. This is important because spiritual beliefs often address some of the same issues that therapists address during counseling, such as emotions and patterns of thinking, behaving, and relating to one another.