In Nick’s words
The couples I do my best work with
I do my best work with LGBTQ+ couples whose relationships don’t fit a traditional mold. That includes monogamous queer couples, open relationships, polyamorous constellations and other consensually non-monogamous setups. Couples often come to me stuck in a recurring cycle: one partner pushes for clarity, the other pulls away, and both end up feeling alone. Others come with breaks in trust, attachment injuries, or questions about opening the relationship. I also welcome partners dealing with outside pressures like family rejection or having to explain their relationship to others.
My style in the room
I’m direct and active, and I lead with curiosity rather than judgment. Usually the pattern is the problem, not either partner, so I won’t spend our time deciding who’s right. I slow conversations down when they speed up, interrupt the familiar cycle, and help each person say what’s underneath their reaction. Then we practice stating needs and fears plainly, making requests instead of tests, and repairing in real time. I draw on Emotionally Focused Therapy, Mentalization-Based Therapy and an IFS-informed lens. I’m also open about myself when it helps, because I think therapy should feel human, not mysterious.
Clients often tell me they appreciate…
That I’m kind and empathetic but direct when it helps, and that I give them space to think for themselves and find their own solutions. They also notice that each partner’s experience matters equally in the room.
Outside the therapy room…
I’m an Austin native, and I live here with my partners and our three dogs. Before becoming a counselor I taught high school science. I’ve also done my own healing work, using some of the same approaches I use with clients.
Not the right fit for
Clients who are in a "traditional" M/F monogamous relationship.
Nick works with
- Ethical non-monogamy
- Communication & conflict
- Relationship transitions
Approaches
- Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Psychodynamic
- Integrative / eclectic
- Developmental Model (Bader-Pearson)
Communities served
- Kink
- LGBTQ+
- Neurodivergent
- Non-traditional relationship structures