Nicole Tabor

I believe that living in our society means that we are all exposed to varying levels of trauma—either directly or indirectly, acutely, or chronically—which can manifest in many ways where we may have been growing in systems that did not provide us what we needed or kept us safe. This leads to adaptations, often maladaptive, and over time, we may notice that these thoughts, behaviors, or beliefs are no longer serving us, yet seem almost impossible to shift and heal from. It is in these moments that we have to build our resources, find community, and approach these parts of our stories to reduce shame, create insight, and have the courage to make changes in our lives to live a more balanced and holistic life. Whether you have been in therapy all your life, or this is your first time seeing a clinician for mental health, you will hopefully find that my demeanor and approaches feel welcoming and encouraging to offer a unique therapeutic relationship in order to break generational patterns of trauma, rewrite your stories, and find your inner voice.

My approach to therapy holds the foundational belief that you are the expert of your own life; Not one single therapeutic approach works for everyone or will work for every situation, however, we will work together to find an approach that works best for you. Some of the modalities I work from include Person-Centered, Humanistic, Strengths-Based, the Satir Method (the Satir Growth Model and Human Validation Process Model), Narrative, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, and Psychodynamic approaches. Themes we may discuss involving these frameworks and trauma-informed lenses include communication patterns, self-esteem, and the innate internal strengths that are within every human being. This collaboration between us may include exploring areas in your life that are painful, uncomfortable, stressful, or challenging in a way that I will strive to be empowering and supportive to work through these struggles together.

I find it additionally and incredibly important to note that I am a tenacious ally and advocate, meaning that I am always learning how to be a stronger therapist to support marginalized populations including women, Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Queer, and Trans individuals, as well as including and incorporating the intersectionality of these groups and how these identities and populations present in the therapeutic and counseling space.

For training, I earned a Master of Clinical Mental Health Counseling from George Fox University, a Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredited program. I have also taken courses and training from George Fox’s Trauma Response Institute as well as The Embody Lab’s Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy Certificate. During my undergraduate degree as a first-generation college student, I obtained my Bachelor of Science from Oregon State University where I studied Agriculture, Public Health, and Poetry/Creative Writing. I have a passion for the intersection of these studies, especially in mental health, and approach my therapy practice from a “human first” mentality with these lenses.