About Me

My Approach

I am a Solution-Focused Therapist. This means that I work with you to help develop specific goals that you want to achieve while in therapy.  Then I develop a set of tools, homework’s, and strategies that help you to reach those goals.  I look at evidence-based approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapies, as well as Coaching, Couples and Family Therapies and Play Therapy as tools to help you reach your goals. I also encourage you to be accountable and proactive in your therapy to help you learn to become self-reliant and capable of using tools on your own outside of the therapy setting.  I believe in being encouraging and positive as I help individuals, families and couples develop their strengths while overcoming their weaknesses.  I am highly invested in each of my clients and strive to help them achieve their therapy goals.

Tools I reccomend

  • Homework’s
  • Strategies that help you to reach those goals
  • Evidence-based approaches
  • Help you learn to become self-reliant
  • Assist in helping you use the tools on your own outside of the therapy setting

About Me

862I am a born and raised New Mexico Native. I obtained my BA Degree from The University of New Mexico in Sociology and Family Studies in 2000. I received my Master’s Degree in Counseling from Webster University in May of 2003. Prior to my graduation, I volunteered to be a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for several years where I spoke in court on behalf of the children who could not speak for themselves. I also worked for The Children Youth and Families Department of New Mexico and as an Adoption Counselor for Adoptions Plus, where I counseled with pregnant mothers who were considering placing their babies for adoption. I have worked with adoptive families as well and still do to this day as a contracted adoption home study counselor and Certified Adoption Counselor. I enjoy seeing families come together through adoption and helping children find their forever families. I have a special place in my heart for children, and enjoy play, art and sand tray therapy while counseling with them. I have worked in two Elementary School settings and a Vocational High School, where I provided individual, play and group therapy to young children and teens.

After I became a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) I began working in various settings and with many diverse populations. I have a background in Individual Counseling, School Counseling & Couples Counseling. I’ve worked at various counseling agencies over the years, where I counseled with adults, adolescents, children and couples. For two years, I worked primarily as a Couples Counselor at an agency here in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I was supervised by a Licensed Sex Therapist who was a valuable resource for my continued education in working with couples. Couples counseling is unlike any other therapy out there. Witnessing couples grow stronger as a unit is a very rewarding experience and I have enjoy helping couples work towards having the loving and rewarding relationships that they deserve.

In April of 2013, I opened my private practice in Rio Rancho, NM where I serve people on the Westside of Albuquerque as well as Rio Rancho. A fellow counselor colleague and myself have set up a welcoming suite in a centrally located office building. Nicole Green and I each serve different populations through counseling, training’s, workshops, retreats and classes provided in our comforting environment. In 2014 I became a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) and I chose at that time to specialize in working with couples. I currently work solely with relationship issues including communication, betrayals, sexual issues, blended family concerns, and other couple related topics and I became a Certified Relationship Specialist (CRS). I am currently training to become Certified in EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy), which is one of the only models of couple therapy that has been tested and shown to create lasting change in over 20 empirical studies. All of my couple’s work follows the writings, teachings and research of John Gottman, Dr. Sue Johnson, Gary Chapman, Arthur Aron, Dr. Kathy Nickerson, Dr. Gary Brainerd, and Michael. S, Sorensesn, just to name a few. (But I am ALWAYS learning something new).

I find that private practice affords me the ability to provide my clients exactly what I feel they need as well as provide flexibility for my own family. I have many hobbies including playing volleyball, sewing, writing, modeling, reading and spending time with my loving husband, my two awesome teenage daughters and my Certified Therapy Dog ‘Zia’, who works to provide comfort to elderly and children in various settings.

I enjoy all aspects of counseling and I love my job. There is nothing like helping someone to reach their goals, helping someone to improve their life and their relationships and watching people blossom into their full potential. I truly love helping people and look forward to helping you too.

Testimonials

  • As a newly married couple each in our second marriages, we are still getting to know each other. We knew with kids and health issues it would not be easy and we knew we weren’t adequately equipped with the right tools to make our marriage as strong as it could be. I found Nikki’s website and we liked what we read so we made an appointment. The day of the appointment we were both unsure about what to expect and we were so nervous, but Nikki instantly put us at ease. She made it easy to talk openly and honestly. Nikki truly cares and she wanted nothing more than to see us become a strong, successful married couple.

    A New You Client
  • Nikki helped me through a tough time in my life where I had lost my grandmother and then ended up taking care of my terminally ill mother. With Nikki’s help, I was able to work through the tough adjustment of not having my grandmother in my life.

    A New You Client
  • Nikki is a great therapist. She helped me out so much and she is very hands on. I recommend her to everyone who needs help. The thing I regret is that she ended up leaving the company she worked for, so I tried to see someone else but it was not the same.

    A New You Client
  • I sought out counseling during a very painful divorce. Although this time in my life is hard to think about, I appreciated having Nikki there to counsel me through that difficult time.

    A New You Client
  • Nikki taught me so much about myself, I could go on and on about her. This is definitely what she is meant to do. I really believe God had his hand in all of this!

    A New You Client
  • Nikki makes you feel right at home and you can’t help but open up. You feel great after every session, and a little sad because it’s over but you look forward to talking to her the next time.

    A New You Client
  • I can say that because of the help, support, techniques and tools we learned from Nikki, our marriage is stronger and we are closer and happier. Stressful things are still in our lives, but now we know how to handle all of it as a united front. Making the decision to seek counseling from Nikki was by far one of the best decisions we have made as husband and wife!

    A New You Client
  • Nikki was able to expertly steer me through a maze and I am thankful that she was there for me. Nikki is an amazing person and cares greatly about her clients.

    A New You Client
  • I had the pleasure of working intensely with Nikki during a time that my life that was in complete shambles. She helped me navigate and extremely dark period in my life and gave me hope for the future. Thankfully I am now on the other side and Nikki played a large part in getting me here.

    A New You Client
  • Not only is Nikki a great therapist, but also a great person. After your first visit, you will feel that you just made a new friend and you feel good about how she is going to help you.

    A New You Client
  • Everyone who is in need of help, I recommend Nikki highly.

    A New You Client

As seen in

‘Super Women’ issue – October, 2018

Click below to read more…

Albuquerque the Magazine

Awards

A New You Counseling, LLC has been selected for the 2016 Best of Rio Rancho Awards for Marriage Counselor.

A New You Counseling, LLC has been selected for the 2017 Best of Rio Rancho Awards for Marriage Counselor.

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