About Nicole
Hi, I’m Nicole! I’ve always been drawn to people’s stories: the things we carry from our families, the places we come from, the experiences that shape us, and the stories we learn to tell about ourselves along the way. As a therapist, I’m interested in creating space to slow down, make sense of those stories, and explore what they might be telling us about who we are, what we need, and where we want to go next.
Starting therapy can feel like a big step. You might know exactly what brought you in, or you might just know that something doesn’t feel right anymore. Maybe you’re moving through a major life transition, navigating questions of identity or belonging, working through relationship or family dynamics, or trying to understand patterns that have been difficult to put into words. You don’t need to have everything figured out before we begin. I want therapy to be a place where you can arrive as you are, without having to leave important parts of yourself at the door.
Born in the Philippines and raised in Tacoma, I’m a Filipina immigrant and the first in my family to attend college. Growing up in an intergenerational household, I learned early how closely culture, family, identity, and relationships can be connected. My path toward social work has taken me through psychology, American Ethnic Studies, education, community advocacy, and crisis response. American Ethnic Studies, in particular, gave me language for experiences I had carried long before I knew how to name them, while learning the histories of my communities helped me understand how identity and personal experience are shaped by the worlds around us. These experiences continue to shape how I approach mental health, with curiosity about the whole person and the histories, relationships, communities, and systems that shape their lives.
My approach is collaborative and grounded in curiosity. I don’t see myself as someone who has all the answers about your life. You bring knowledge of yourself that I can’t learn from a textbook, and my role is to listen, ask thoughtful questions, offer perspective when it’s helpful, and make room for you to explore what feels meaningful. I’m particularly drawn to narrative and relational approaches, and I value the ways culture, family, community, and lived experience can shape the stories we carry. Together, we can make space for both the difficult parts of your story and the parts that may have been overlooked.
Outside of social work, I’m a writer, illustrator, and lifelong storyteller. I’m someone who loves trying new things, whether that means finding a new restaurant, cooking something I’ve never made before, playing a new game, exploring somewhere I haven’t been, or saying yes to a spontaneous plan. I enjoy spending time with the people and communities I care about, and I’m naturally curious about the many different ways people experience and make sense of the world. I bring that same openness and curiosity into my work with clients. I don’t think our stories ever stop unfolding, and I hope therapy can be a place to get curious about what comes next.