Tammy Nicholes

I attended school at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (UMHB) where I earned a bachelor's degree and later pursued a master's degree in counseling for marriage and family therapy.

I worked 3+ years at The Advocacy Center for Crime Victims and Children in Waco, Texas and have been seeing clients in private practice since 2020.

I've been married to my husband for 25+ years and have raised three children who are now young adults. Through my own life experiences, my education received at UMHB, as well as my work experiences of working with diverse populations it has given me a great foundation to feel comfortable in supporting my clients through their own journeys.

My theoretical orientation is systemic, and my therapy preference is solution-focused therapy. Systemic thinking involves the idea that we are all affected by our thinking and our development. When working with a client, I try always to be aware of the system in which the client functions.

Solution-focused therapy is a person-centered therapy that believes that we have the tools to solve our own problems, if we are focused in the right direction. I work with clients to find the exceptions to their problems: times when things are working well. Then I help the client find ways to have things work well on a more consistent basis.

Some concerns respond better with other forms of therapy. Other approaches I may use are trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), experiential therapy, narrative therapy, or psychoeducation.

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I also have training in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR can be beneficial in helping to process trauma(s) that are impacting a client's daily routine.

I believe it is important to develop the best approach for each client in order to determine the therapy that complements not only the client(s) but also the reason for them seeking counseling services.

We will use the first session to gain clarity into client(s) goals for therapy by reviewing intake paperwork and allowing space to gain comfort in the client/therapist relationship.

There can be many different reasons people look for counseling support. But finding the right therapist to match your needs can make a big difference. So what can you expect from me? A nonjudgmental space to discuss thoughts/feelings and asking some of those tough questions to help you get the growth you desire in efforts to help you attain your goals.