Casey Casillas-Nichols

I’m a licensed therapist with many years of experience in behavioral health, including mental health, substance use and recovery, crisis intervention, and working with individuals involved in the justice system. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from UNLV, and my career has also included behavioral health leadership and teaching addiction at the university level. I work with teens and adults and bring both clinical experience and real-life perspective as a wife and mom who understands the complexities of blended families and supporting loved ones through mental health challenges. I believe therapy works best when you can genuinely connect with your therapist, feel comfortable being yourself, and know you have a space where you can be honest about what’s really going on.

My style is warm, conversational, and direct. I want therapy to feel like a genuine conversation, not like you’re being analyzed from across the room. I meet clients where they are and use approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, solution-focused, strength-based, and trauma-focused techniques based on what fits the individual. I’ll listen without judgment, but I’ll also ask questions, offer a different perspective, and challenge you when it can help you move forward. I believe there’s room for humor in therapy too; we can do meaningful work without every session feeling heavy.

Your first session is about getting to know each other and understanding what brought you to therapy, what’s going on in your life, and what you hope to get out of our time together. I’ll ask questions to learn more about you, but I don’t expect you to unpack your entire life in one session; we’ll move at a pace that feels comfortable for you. Together, we’ll begin identifying what you’d like to work on and what meaningful progress would look like in your life. Most importantly, I want you to leave the first session feeling heard, comfortable, and with a sense of where we can begin.