SERVICES
Individual Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Individual sessions are customized to meet each client’s specific needs. One-on-one sessions typically last 50 minutes. Weekly meetings are preferred, especially early in treatment to build momentum. CBT is an active treatment. As such, expect to be assigned personalized practice exercises to complete between sessions. Topics discussed in individual sessions can range from specific mental health problems or concerns (e.g., anxiety, grief) to relationship issues (e.g., dating, sexual health) to life transitions (e.g., finding a new job, retiring, having a baby). No topic is off limits. Individual therapy sessions provide a safe space to share your thoughts, play with ideas, and be curious while you gain the needed insights and skills to improve your mental health and quality of life.
A couples therapy session lasts 50-90 minutes depending on the focus of that particular session (e.g., gathering information, working on communication skills, managing a crisis). Couples are usually seen together. On occasion, Dr. Nikki will ask to meet with each partner individually. This is not a time to share secrets, but rather about getting to know each partner’s individual history. Weekly meetings are preferred, especially early in treatment. Personalized practice exercises are occasionally assigned for each partner to complete between sessions.
Whether it's the daily grind wearing off the luster of a great relationship or more significant challenges with communication, trust, or infidelity, you can benefit from couples therapy. Couples who work with Dr. Nikki report feeling heard and understood by their partner, sometimes for the first time in a long time. She uses an empirically supported treatment, Emotion-Focused Therapy, to help couples of all backgrounds improve communication, build trust, recover from infidelity, co-parent effectively, reignite intimacy, negotiate transitions and milestones, and tackle issues with in-laws and extended family.
As an extension of her couples work, Dr. Nikki also meets with families with adult children to work through the various intergenerational challenges they may face. A typical session includes a parent and his/her adult child (e.g., mother-daughter). Each appointment lasts 50-90 minutes depending on the focus of the session. Weekly meetings are preferred, especially early in treatment to build momentum.
Client-Centered Family Consultation
Research shows that involving a supportive family member or friend in therapy can be greatly beneficial. Family Consultation is an opportunity to bring your family member or support person in for a session or two to identify ways your loved one can support you. This is not family therapy. Rather, the focus of the session is on providing your family member or support person with information about your specific mental health diagnosis and treatment goals, education about what is and is not helpful for you in your recovery, and problem-solving challenges they can help you overcome. The focus is exclusively on helping you – the client. When families are informed and shown specific ways to be helpful, their support can make a great impact.
Sometimes families want to consult with an expert regarding a concern they have about their loved one. If the loved one is not already a therapy client at Pacific Coast CBT, then it is possible to schedule a consultation with Dr. Nikki. Spend the session sharing your concerns, learning about a mental health condition, getting support for yourself, and developing a plan or next steps for how to best support and encourage your loved one. Many successful interventions with one’s family member begin with first getting education and support for yourself.
Therapist Consultation/Supervision
Dr. Nikki offers one-on-one CBT and couples therapy consultation/supervision to licensed mental health treatment providers in the state of California. Please contact Dr. Nikki directly with all inquiries.
Specialties - Psychological Disorders
Agoraphobia
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Bipolar Disorder
Excoriation (skin picking)
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Hoarding
Illness Anxiety and Fear of Dying
Insomnia
Major Depression
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Panic Disorder
Postpartum Anxiety and OCD
Postpartum Depression
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Social Anxiety Disorder
Specific Phobias (e.g., Animals, Blood-Injection-Injury, Driving, Flying, Heights, Insects, Vomit)
Trichotillomania (hair pulling)
Specialties – Life Stressors & Transitions
Dating
Getting Married
Grieving
Recovering from Infidelity
Transitioning to Parenthood
Specialties - Treatment Techniques
Assertiveness Training
Behavioral Activation
CBT-Insomnia
Cognitive Restructuring
Communication Skills Training
Defusion
Emotional Regulation Skills Training
Exposure with Response Prevention
Grounding
Habit Reversal Training
Identifying Values
Mindful Breathing Exercises
Mindfulness Training
Motivational Interviewing
Relapse Prevention Planning
Relapse Prevention Skills Training
Setting SMART Goals
Smoking Cessation
Thought Stopping Exercises