82 Diana Way
Barrie, ON, L4M 7J1

705-279-3432
nicole44244@gmail.com

Since she was a young girl, Nicole has always loved nature, being outside, and animals. She always thought there was something magical about horses. She and her friends would pretend to be horses, trotting and jumping over obstacles in the backyard. In grade school, her teacher asked her to draw a picture of what she wanted to be when she grew up. Nicole drew a picture of a horse ranch amidst the mountains and called it Rustic Hills Ranch after the strawberry farm that she grew up on. She took some riding lessons, but more often than not, you’d find her just hanging out with the horses, braiding their hair or leading them along a trail giving pony rides to kids on the farm. 

One day the barn where she was taking riding lessons burned down, and she lost touch with these magnificent creatures. Around the same time, her parents went through a nasty divorce that devastated the family. When she was 16, her teacher recommended the book “Man and his Symbols” by Carl J. Jung. That’s when she knew that she wanted to help others – both because human behaviour fascinated her, and because she never wanted another soul to have to go through what she did alone.  

Nicole obtained a bachelor’s degree in psychology and minored in philosophy, sociology, and religion. She spent a lot of time contemplating deep philosophical questions and developing her understanding of the world.  She approached life inquisitively and critically, never really taking anything at face value. She believed in fate, but not in a predetermined sense, and in the power of free will and authenticity. In 2011, she graduated with a master of social work degree. She wanted to get to know each individual for who they are from a more holistic perspective.  She also began to further explore the relationship between mind, body, and spirit by learning more about a variety of natural and alternative healing practices.  Nicole aspired to a new dream to open a private practice in a natural setting. 

Nicole continued to spend as much time as possible in nature and took advantage of opportunities to travel, meet new people, experience new cultures, go on adventures, and continue to expand her understanding of human behaviour, the world, and herself. She found herself drawn to different rocks and gemstones and took time to learn about them, fascinated by the wonders of what this earth can create. She continued to explore new places through hiking, canoeing, and kayaking. 

Nicole is passionate about helping others and naturally fell into the therapeutic role. She has had the privilege of a breadth of experience working with people of all ages, in a variety of settings, and with a variety of therapeutic challenges and goals. Nicole’s gift is her ability to genuinely listen to what her clients are experiencing, convey understanding and validation, and work with clients collaboratively to assess their needs and develop a plan for meeting their goals. Her innate ability to empathize with clients and see situations from multiple perspectives allows her to be creative, think outside the box, and challenge traditional conventions and expectations in her work with others. She has a knack for managing complex and difficult situations calmly and supporting others in connecting with their personal power and life’s purpose. 

Nicole’s therapeutic approach is multi-systemic and strength-based. She draws from a number of therapeutic modalities, including attachment therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), cognitive behaviour (CBT), narrative therapy, somatic experiencing, and grief counselling. Her approach is trauma-informed and she is qualified to practice the regulated act of psychotherapy using evidence-informed treatment strategies. She also incorporates mindfulness and meditation exercises into her practice. She adapts her clinical approach, drawing from different modalities, to meet the individual needs of those that she works with. 

In 2020, through the COVID-19 pandemic, Nicole had the opportunity to self-reflect. She decided it was time to open her private practice and called it Sequoia Counselling. As she connected more deeply with herself and began trusting more fully in her intuition, she found herself drawn back into the world of horses. She went on a few trail rides and participated in a Facilitated Equine Experiential Learning (FEEL)® personal development day. She thought that was pretty cool, so she looked for a registered social worker who practices FEEL so that she could continue to spend time with horses and further her own growth and healing, with the bonus that it would be covered by her benefits. That’s when Nicole met Scout, a very special horse who taught her firsthand just how transformational and healing working with horses can be (Scout Story: https://sequoiacounselling.ca/equine-therapy/#Scout). 

Horses have the ability to teach us about boundaries, leadership skills, emotion regulation, self-compassion, authenticity, assertiveness, genuine connection, and much more. Nicole was particularly amazed by how partnering with Scout and the other horses created a safe and truly nonjudgmental space where trauma survivors (and others) can learn to let down their walls to experience acceptance, forgiveness and unconditional love, as they process and heal from often debilitating emotions, such as regret, guilt, anger, and shame. She recognized how valuable partnering with horses can be for her clients, particularly those who have a hard time putting feelings into words, are more tactile in nature, or prefer learning experientially. She remembered her childhood dream of owning a horse ranch and knew that her future would involve partnering with horses to continue her quest to nurture growth, healing, and hope in others. 

Today, Nicole continues to practice traditional counselling/ psychotherapy and has officially partnered with horses to also offer Equine Assisted Psychotherapy through her private practice, Sequoia Counselling. Nicole works with clients both virtually (over phone/video) and in person, in Barrie and Innisfil, Ontario. Nicole draws from her experience and knowledge of psychology, social work, FEEL, spirituality and alternative healing, as well as the wisdom and knowledge of her horse partners, to support clients in learning to overcome obstacles that they face, heal from past wounds, live life more authentically, and find purpose in their lives. Nicole continues to work with diverse clients of all ages, but has a particular passion for working with:

• Relational trauma and developing healthy attachments with others,
• ASD and Neurodiversity,
• Mental Health & Wellness
• Personal journeys towards living life more authentically, finding their personal power, developing genuine connections with others, and living with purpose. 

Visit Nicole’s website at www.SequoiaCounselling.ca  to learn more and schedule a session.