Hi, I’m Nichole,
I help women (and some amazing people of other genders, too) cultivate a new and embodied connection with life.
By exploring the integrated disciplines of mindfulness, coaching, and somatic counseling (Somatic Experiencing), we will go on an empowering journey of self-discovery.
You will learn to be present with the joys of your life as equally as the sorrows, asking deeper questions and opening to deeper answers, learning to occupy the ground you stand on, and coming home to what is true for you.
Through our work together, you will cultivate a present, embodied, and empowered life!
My commitment to you is to show up fully for you as an ally, friend, and guide. You bring what is true for you. I’ll bring honest reflection, compassion, and wit.
I will see you and support you every step of the way.
COuld you imagine showing up for life, fully present, and on your own terms?
I’m guessing that question resonates in one of two way… Maybe you feel a full YES – SIGN ME UP vibrating through your body right now.
Or maybe, you feel nothing, and the idea of showing up for life, being present and stepping into your power feels overwhelming and even scary. Maybne you have no idea what YOUR OWN TERMS even are.
Either way, I get it.
But either way, you are in the right place! Because whether you feel a resounding YES or are sacred as HECK, you, and whatever it is that makes you uniquely you, are welcome here!
Here, in the healing space we create together (because I see YOU as the most powerful agent in your transformation), you get to be who you are – not who the world said you need to be or even who you strive to be someday. You get to come just as you are right now.
Whether that means you are confused and scared, totally lost in codependent and dysfunctional relationships, still striving for perfection or pleasing everyone else but yourself, you are welcome here. Not giving any paradigm changing Ted talks yet? Still only have 10 Instagram followers, or everything in your life is no where near good enough. No problem!
It doesn’t matter what challenges (or growth opportunities, as I like to say) you are currently facing. Those challenges may be toxic stress and anxiety, chronic illness or health issues, learning to set boundaries, healing from trauma, recovering from overachieving, perfectionism, codependency or dysfunctional relationships, or learning that you don’t need to be perfect and live up to other people’s expectations.
You don’t need to be anything or anyone other than who you are right now!
Because being you is good!
Our work together definitely will take you in the direction of the woman you want to become; I can promise you that!
But not because who you are right now is wrong or not good enough. And definitely not because we are going to try to change or fix you. We are going to get to curious and honesty, we are going to get to know and be present with all the parts you have been avoiding. I am going to support you in making peace with your pain, and welcome your suffering. Because healing comes from the surrender, not from the fight.
I used to cringe when all the people who were “older and wiser and more healed” than I was would always say, “healing comes from loving and accepting ourselves as we are.”
And every time, I was like “F—— that.”
Until I realized that being perfect, abandoning myself, achieving, and pleasing everyone else wasn’t getting me the healing and connection I wanted. So, one day, somewhat reluctantly, I was like, “Okay, I guess I will give this self-love stuff a try.”
And that is when the magic (healing and transformation) began to happen!
SO, RIGHT HERE IS WHERE WE BEGIN…
In our work together we will sit down in the middle of your life get to know what is TRUE for you.
We will get to know the parts of your experience you had to put into hiding… you know, all the unsexy stuff like fear, self-abandonment, shame, anxiety, grief, pain, anger, etc.
We will practice bringing care and kindness to those parts of you, building more resilience in the face of it all. And we will explore the sexy stuff like joy, love, acceptance, connection, or whatever you desire more of in your life.
We will explore the patterns or behaviors you have built for self-protection, and we will take a journey in which you get to explore self-connection in a whole new, self-loving, and life-affirming way.
BUT HOW DO WE DO THIS?
That is a great question! There is no one solid answer, and there are as many diverse paths to walk on the healing journey as there are diverse and different women with whom I work. And that is good because healing is not a One-SizeFits-All kind of thing.
We will walk a path that works for you, based on your life, needs, goals, and desires. Taking a family system and trauma-informed approach to our work together, we will consider the context of your personal history and family/culture of origin so that our work together serves and supports you every step of the way.
The diverse and interwoven disciplines of Mindfulness, Somatic Counseling/ Somatic Experiencing, and Coaching will support our work together.
Utilizing the practice of MINDFULNESS, I will support you in cultivating selfawareness, relieving stress, developing concentration and focus, physical health and well-being, and connecting deeply with the direct experience of your life.
Through SOMATIC COUNSELING and specifically a modality called SOMATIC EXPERIENCING, you will become more fully embodied and will cultivate healthy nervous system regulation by restoring the nervous system and body to optimal health and function.
COACHING is what brings it all together. In coaching sessions, we will explore the dynamic material of your life. We will identify goals, outline strategies to achieve them, and answer the deeper questions of your life.
We will turn those questions inside out, getting to know what is TRUE FOR YOU.
What it looks like to work together…
AND NOW, A BIT ABOUT ME
First, let me say I am excited to be here with you!
Why? Well, I have walked the path you are walking now, and I feel a deep fire in my belly to help other women on their healing journey.
Like many of you reading this, I have lived through many of the same things you are possibly struggling with: chronic illness and health issues, unhealthy relationships, dysfunctional/alcoholic family trauma, perfectionism, overachieving, grief and loss, codependency, sexual trauma, injury, and so much more. I learned all kinds of unhealthy coping strategies and sought acceptance and approval in all the wrong places. And I have felt lost, alone, and all the shameful things.
BUT THATS NOT MY STORY ANYMORE!
Mindfulness, coaching, trauma-informed somatic counseling, and all kinds of other creative and spiritual practices have saved my life a million times over. Now, after years of pursuing my own healing, my life is very different. I am not affected in the same way by the many wounds that shaped my earlier development. I can now see with compassion and self forgiveness that my younger self was doing her best, given the tools and resources she had.
It is not to say my life is perfect or 100% healed. I still experience sorrow, difficulty, and grief. But I have a more honest relationship with life as it is, allowing me to cultivate a more honest and present relationship with myself and the world around me. And it feels like nothing short of freedom.
But like you, I too needed mentors, teachers, and people to hold this higher vision of myself while I sat down in the painful middle of my life, learning to love myself while making peace with the intense suffering I had known for so long. I am forever grateful to the people I have called teachers, counselors, friends, and mentors… there have been many. And I consider it a great honor that you might call me the same.
As I said, it is an honor to work with you. I can’t tell you how often I am moved to tears when working with a client who is boldly opening, taking chances, and courageously exploring some new part of herself. I feel the impact of your expansion because I allow myself to be impacted.
I allow myself to care about and be affected by the people I work with because you deserve nothing less than my present and loving attention, invested in nothing less than your full awakening and well-being. As Hafiz, the ancient Persian poet, once wrote, “If only you could see yourself through my eyes, you would realize how beautiful you are.”
My superpower is helping women get to know what is really true for them while creating the kind of life they actually want… a life in which they are fully present, embodied, and in their power!
INFLUENCES, EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, AND FUN FACTS…
Graduated from the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior with a certification in mindfulness facilitation (CMF). I am a Certified Mindfulness Teacher – Professional (CMT-P) through the International Mindfulness Teachers Association.
I have a double major/double minor interdisciplinary degree, from Fairhaven College, in psychology, education, women’s studies, and the expressive arts. I also trained as a counselor, coach, and dance teacher
I am a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) and have completed advanced level training in somatic therapy through the Trauma Healing Institute/Somatic Experiencing Training Institute.
My work is informed by 20 years of meditation practice, a lifetime as an artist, and 20+ years leading rituals, ceremonies, retreats, programs, workshops, and other wellness programs.
I have 5+ years of training in Western herbalism and I worked in India with an organization supporting women living with HIV and AIDS.
I spent three years working as a dance and art teacher in the public school system in WA state.
For 20+ years, I have practiced and studied in different wisdom and spiritual traditions, including Buddhism and various women’s wisdom traditions.
I studied with Ina May Gaskin and other internationally acclaimed midwives at The Farm in Tennessee.
I spent 2+ years of my life on silent meditation retreats all over the world.
For seven years I directed and facilitated the Women’s Moon Lodge for the Oregon Country Faire Community Village, facilitating healing and wellness workshops.
I have choreographed and performed in numerous dance and theater works; published my writing and photography; and collaborated with many other musical, visual, and movement artists over the years.
I am a lover of all things associated with nature, including wild adventures, backpacking, and hiking. I am an avid lover of feasts, food, and gatherings of beloved family and friends. And I love swimming in rivers, mountain lakes, and the tropical ocean. And my dog Wyatt – Oh, I love Wyatt!!!
Wyatt, the Mindful Mutt
#wyattstanleyproffitt
ARE YOU READY?
CALL NOW FOR A Free Consultation!
DISCLOSURE
WHAT I DO AND WHAT I DON’T…
When talking to people about my work, I often hear them ask, “So you’re like a therapist?” Or, because I teach programs at UCSF, a world-renowned medical teaching hospital and research institution, sometimes people also ask, “You’re a doctor or medical professional?” To both these questions, I answer, “No, not quite.” But I would be lying if I said that what I offer is not therapeutic to many women with whom I work. It supports emotional, physical, spiritual, and psychological well-being and personal growth.
I am a certified professional mindfulness teacher and coach (CMT-P), and I have advanced training in Somatic Experiencing, a therapeutic modality for resolving and healing trauma. I have degrees in psychology, education, and the arts, and additional training in counseling, mentoring, and expressive arts instruction. I decided not to become a licensed psychotherapist (I wanted to work in a broader capacity) or a medical doctor. I do, however, collaborate with and work alongside clinicians, doctors, psychologists, surgeons, psychotherapists, and other licensed health care providers. I also have contributed to several NIH (National Institute of Health) funded medical research studies through reputed medical research institutions. And in the last year, I worked with front-line COVID doctors, teaching mindfulness and resilience training.
Like any of you, I am a woman who has been highly motivated by my suffering and health challenges to get well and help others. I intend to support my clients across disciplines as they navigate their healing journey. I write, teach, facilitate, and advocate based on my experience, education, training, and research. I do not provide medical treatment or psychological diagnosis. If that is what you need, I will gladly point you toward appropriate medical professionals.
I intend to offer guidance, education, and direct mentoring in mindfulness, trauma, creativity, and other practices that encourage healing, wellness, and personal growth. In choosing to work with me, you assert your agency and affirm the responsibility is yours in that I am merely a guide and support person. I see each woman with whom I work as the most powerful agent in her healing journey. Through the practices and invitations that I offer you, I receive enrichment in my own life, and I am now living a life of greater health, wealth, and personal awareness. In working together, you do so willingly and are responsible for the choices you make. As your guide and mentor, I will encourage and support your empowered decision-making.
MY COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND ONGOING ANTI-RACISM WORK…
I feel privileged to support, work with, and learn from many Black, Indigenous Women of Color (BIWOC), people in the LGBTQ community, and women from other commonly marginalized and underrepresented communities.
I am committed to bringing awareness to how I benefit from systems of oppression and how to dismantle those systems in my thinking and actions as I work with women whose lives experience daily systemic oppression. I intend to welcome all women who feel called to this work.
As a teacher, mentor, and guide, it is my responsibility to look at my own internalized racism and oppression and to become accountable when my actions have in any way caused harm. I am committed to my ongoing education about diversity, identity, and the impact of oppression, so I can be accountable to and fully present for the needs of the women I am privileged to support.
TO THIS END, I COMMIT TO…
Ongoing personal work (reading, training, etc.) to better understand and dismantle my own privilege and white supremacy to better support BIWOC.
Maintaining the Sustaining Women’s Spirit Fun, a scholarships fund for Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color (BIWOC) in my group programs.
Supporting BIPOC-owned businesses and contractors.
Community guidelines and values that support the safety of BIWOC in all group programs.
A portion of all profits goes to supporting BIPOC health and wellness programs.
Some of these commitments are already firmly in place, and others are new. Either way, this work is ongoing, and I am grateful to explore how to make programs safer, more inclusive, and more accessible for all women!
I offer my deepest bow to all women who are personally engaged in dismantling systems of oppression and healing trauma within their hearts and minds – and the world around us!
