My name is Nicole and I am a Licensed Independent Social Worker and Registered Play Therapist. I graduated from Monticello High School in 2002. I received my BA in Psychology in 2006 from the University of Iowa. After graduation, I moved to Kansas City and worked for Marillac Children’s Psychiatric Hospital for three years. In 2009, I graduated from the University of Kansas with a Masters in Clinical Social Work and completed the play therapy certificate program through the Kansas City Play Therapy Institute. My internships include working with children in foster care and doing individual and family therapy in a group home.

After I completed my master’s program I moved to the Des Moines area and began working as a therapist for Orchard Place Child Guidance Center. For 2 years I worked as a Functional Family Therapist, doing in home family therapy with juveniles involved with the court system. I then transferred to a school based position providing individual and family therapy to children in grades K-12 for 4 years.

In 2015, my husband I decided to move back to our home town. With this move, I took the opportunity to try something different and worked for Above and Beyond Hospice for two years. 

After moving back to Monticello, I noticed a shortage of accessible mental health services in the area and in the Spring of 2017, I opened Sunrise Therapy and Counseling Services. My goal is to provide more accessible services to children in the community. I use a combination of approaches including play therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy, among others, based on the needs of each client and family. I provide individual and family therapy services to children 3-21.

I recognize that it can be difficult to find a therapist who is a good match for you/your child. The client/therapist relationship is vital in the therapeutic success! Please feel free to email or call me to learn more about the services I can provide you and your child. I welcome the opportunity to talk with you and answer any questions you may have.