About Nicole sanchez, lcsw
Ready to build secure relationships with yourself and others?
I’m a New York City-based therapist who specializes in treating complex trauma with EMDR and other trauma therapies to guide you towards deeper healing.
Does this seem all too familiar?
You're here because you're seeking relief from the weight of past experiences.
Recognizing the immense challenges you encounter, including the lack of affirming support, discrimination, and the weight of heteronormative expectations, I wholeheartedly empathize with your longing for healing and progress. Your journey to overcome the overwhelming exhaustion and disorientation of complex trauma is deeply respected and understood.
How I work
The clients I work with are looking for a therapist who is affirming, knowledgeable, resourceful and easy to talk to.
I work with LGBTQ+ youth and adults, who are struggling with complex trauma, feeling disturbed by painful past experiences. They most often feel like they are a burden, incompetent or often find themselves endlessly ruminating over worst case scenarios.
They seek therapy when they realize that they are ready to stop spiraling and begin experiencing a sense of grounding and connection. There is an acknowledgement that they do not have to stay stuck. Their desire to feel confident, secure and live authentically outweighs the fear to work through their pain.
As a relational psychodynamic therapist specializing in trauma, I believe in laying the groundwork for your healing journey by fostering a secure and trusting connection between us. Here, you'll find a safe haven where your thoughts, feelings, and aspirations are seen and heard.
Once we have formed that secure connection and there is an understanding of your unique experience, I collaborate with you in mapping out your journey. Together, we explore how to build upon your current strengths and explore new tools while you prepare to process and integrate your trauma.
Therapy with me is…
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Together, we embrace creativity and outside-the-box thinking, offering novel approaches and techniques to inspire fresh insights and breakthroughs in your therapeutic journey.
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In a practical manner, I integrate principles of neuroscience and understanding of brain function, providing insights into the biological underpinnings of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors for a deeper understanding of your therapeutic process.
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Our work together involves active participation from us both, working together towards your goals.
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My approach considers the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit, addressing multiple aspects of a client's well-being for comprehensive healing and transformation.
specializing in:
Trauma
LGB/Queer Issues
Transgender Issues
EMDR
More about my experience
In 2004, I embarked on my mental health career journey, beginning at a group home in Los Angeles, California, with a special focus on addressing the profound trauma and abuse experienced by LGBTQ+ youth. As a facility manager, my role was primarily centered on supporting the rehabilitation of youth who had sex offense charges.
Throughout my career, I've cultivated a deep specialization in supporting the LGBTQ+ community, navigating their unique struggles, and delving into the depths of trauma they often endure. This specialty has unfolded through coursework in gender studies, immersive experiences at renowned LGBTQ+ organizations such as the The LGBT Center, an ongoing exploration of LGBTQ+ history and an unwavering commitment to directly working with the LGBTQ+ community over the last 20 years.
My pursuit of deepening my knowledge in trauma started with compassionately listening to client’s painful experiences and a strong desire to support their healing journey. I developed a specialization in trauma through a three year postgraduate study in integrative trauma studies at the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy. The knowledge gained in the program provided me the opportunity to provide experiential treatment, which has the power to quickly provide profound and long lasting progress.
In addition to working with the LGBTQ+ community, I have extensive experience in serving clients from diverse cultural and spiritual backgrounds, allowing for our work to take on an intersectional approach. With experience in youth clinics, schools, and hospital settings in Queens and the Bronx. I've assisted clients in addressing issues such as severe trauma, mood disorders and psychotic symptoms.
With over a decade of practice, I've offered individual psychotherapy to children, teenagers and adults. My therapeutic methodology is a meticulously crafted blend of psychodynamic, trauma-focused, attachment-based, and mind-body therapies. I provide accelerated treatment such as EMDR (eye movement desensitization reprocessing) therapy to provide thorough healing. Each treatment plan is carefully created to suit the unique needs of the individual, fostering a healing environment that prioritizes their well-being.
My Training & Education
CERTIFICATIONS
Integrated Trauma Training Program, three year post-graduate training, Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Parts 1 & 2
Certificate in Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy & Psychedelic Integration
EDUCATION
In 2013, I received a Masters of Science in Social Work from the Columbia University School of Social Work. My concentration at Columbia was Advanced Clinical Social Work Practice with a focus on Health, Mental Health and Disabilities.
In 2011, I received bachelors degrees in Psychology and Gender Studies from the University of Southern California. While pursuing the gender studies degree, the focus consisted of LGBTQ+ issues.