Nikki Schuster, LSW (she/her)
Does this sound like you?
You feel alone, even when you’re in a crowd. You’ve lost interest in things you used to enjoy, sometimes even struggling to find the motivation to get through the day. Oftentimes, you wonder, “why do I even bother?” It seems impossible to find a path forward, but you aren’t ready to give up.
You have complicated relationships with your parents or other family members, and you aren’t sure how to mend them, or if you even want to. You struggle to say no and set boundaries for yourself, because you don’t want to feel like you’re letting anyone down. Sometimes you find yourself asking, “what did I do wrong to make them treat me this way?” You blame yourself, but deep down, you know there’s more to the story waiting to be uncovered.
Your mind is always racing and creating fictional conversations and scenarios. You feel shaky, short of breath, sweaty, tense, or nauseous, and you don’t know why. You are always on alert and creating escape routes or emergency plans for every situation you may encounter. You’re constantly wondering, “am I good enough?” and waiting for something to go wrong. You are tired of living with these constant feelings of worry and uneasiness.
Wherever you are in life, it is not quite where you want to be. The idea of healing is on the forefront of your mind, and we are ready to get you there, together.
Therapy can help!
Trying to deal with difficult emotions and traumatic experiences without the proper tools and knowledge can lead to frustration, anger, disappointment, and despair. Therapy provides a safe space for you to explore your emotions without judgement. Therapy is a supportive environment that fosters healthy change. Together, we can tackle whatever is ailing you, and create effective, detailed, easy-to-follow plans to help you reach your goals. I will provide as much education as possible to help you gain a deeper understanding of why you feel the way you do, as well as equip you with tools and techniques to more effectively cope with those feelings.
I work best with clients who are willing to challenge their own thought patterns and develop new habits for lasting change. I believe strongly in the importance of collaboration, and will continue working hard on your growth, as long as you do, too. I welcome all identities, ages, cultures, and beliefs, but am particularly passionate about working with secular teens and young adults who identify as female.
My approach to therapy is client-centered, strengths-based, and trauma-informed. This means that I will respect your boundaries and beliefs, and help you highlight your strengths and abilities. I will always meet a client where they are at and help them get to where they want to be. Based on each clients’ individual needs and goals for therapy, I may utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Narrative Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Therapy, and/or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
People I work best with
- People who are willing to commit to a collaborative process of growth and transformation
- People who want to gain a better understanding of their emotions
- People who feel as though they are alone and others don’t understand what they are going through
- People who feel uncomfortable in social situations
- People who have racing thoughts that don’t seem to slow down
- People who have struggled with a loved one’s drug or alcohol use
- People who have experienced loss
- People who have experienced trauma
- People who have difficult relationships with their parent(s) or other family members
My full specialties include
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Trauma/PTSD
- Grief and loss
- Complex family relationships
- Chronic pain and illness
When I am not at work…
I love to travel and explore new places with my husband, stay home and cuddle with our two cats and dog, and create art and poetry.
Credentials
Licensed Social Worker (LSW) LSW.0009925656 (Supervised by Haley Lafferty, LCSW, CSW.09927595)
Master of Social Work (Metropolitan State University of Denver, 2024)
B.S. of Social Work (Metropolitan State University of Denver, 2023)
Rates
*Only accepting virtual clients located in Colorado at this time*
Individual Therapy (55min, $110)
Couples Therapy (55min, $125)
Sliding scale rates available if needed.