We recently connected with Jordan Nickel-Dubin, MA, P-RDT and have shared our conversation below.
Jordan, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
When I was eight years old, I fell in love.
Okay, not the way you’re thinking. When I was eight years old, I saw Wicked at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles and fell in love with live theatre. I knew from that moment that I wanted to forever have theatre in my life. I took acting classes from 9-14, then performed in a weekly improv show from 14-17. I taught theatre classes at schools and summer camps for 13 years, teaching children ages 4-16. I listened to Original Broadway Cast recordings over and over again, singing loud and proud, much to the dismay of most of – if not all – my family.
But my #1 goal? Move to New York City and see as many Broadway shows as I could…while still being able to afford food and rent. That was the top thing I put on my birthday and Christmas wishlists since I was a child. I just wanted to see shows with the best of the best. One month after turning 22, I moved from Southern California to Bushwick in Brooklyn, not knowing a single person, never having been in Brooklyn before and only two days in the city, and spending the next three months in a sublet, trapped in a back bedroom filled from floor to ceiling with crap, a bed that shook with the slightest touch, a couch that was shredded, not being able to use the kitchen or living room while the tenants were there, and a cat with separation anxiety who loved to rub up against my legs. Did I mention they didn’t tell me they had a cat? Did I mention I’m allergic to cats?
But it was a little girl’s dream. And that little girl became quite stubborn. I wanted to make it work. So I did. I saw 42 Broadway shows in five years, and I’m pretty sure I cried at every single overture.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
As a therapist, I use a person-centered creative approach, and work from a heart-centered place. I am dedicated to crafting a collaborative therapeutic alliance, where the work is a mutual process that contributes to growth (whatever that may look like for each client!) I often use the creative arts of drama, art, storytelling, and movement to support and enhance the psychotherapeutic process.
Are you feeling stuck? Want to bring some joy and playfulness into your life and feel like something can change? Drama Therapy, an experiential method of facilitating change, is an incredible tool for self-discovery, transformation, and connection. You don’t need to be an actor or have any acting experience to benefit from Drama Therapy. We’ve got so many options for how to structure sessions, from drama to talk therapy and anywhere in between. You and I will figure out together what feels the most comfortable to try – and with flexibility to change your mind on what feels best! We are a team.
I am passionate about helping children and adolescents become aware of their mind/body connection, building coping skills through various modalities, and overall being a safe enough adult person as they work to find their true selves. I believe every child has the ability to thrive and I would like to support them in their journey of self-discovery and growth. I strive to meet each child where they are at, using play and embodiment to connect in ways that go beyond talking. I often emphasize storytelling, which is an important and brilliant way to help honor their lives.
Currently I work with adult individuals, children, and adolescents who reside in the state of Oregon for in-person or online sessions.
I have known I wanted to work with children and adolescents for as long as I can remember. I have been a theatre teacher for 13 years, working with children ages 4 to 16. I’ve found that the best method and language to work through tough stuff is through play, and I am looking forward to creating a therapeutic relationship and therapeutic rapport through the language children speak best, as well as bring out the inner child in adults. Additionally, as a proud queer woman and third-generation member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I specialize in working with clients of all ages who are LGBTQIA+, gender questioning, and queerspawn with LGBTQIA+ parents. I also formerly worked as a Drama Therapist in inpatient Palliative Medicine, directly working with patients ages 18-102 and family members 4-90, focusing on grief and loss and emphasizing anticipatory and disenfranchised grief.
I recently moved to Portland from New York City. Even though I was born and raised in California, I am a New Yorker. I hold a Masters degree in Drama Therapy from NYU and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Dance & Theatre Performance from Mills College.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
Meet the child where they’re at. Children are so much more intelligent than many adults give them credit for. Sometimes you need to throw your degrees and experience out the window for a bit and let the child be the teacher. It is okay to not have a plan when you enter the session. You’ll find your way.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Theatre is one of the most powerful tools I’ve ever encountered. When I was little, I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. A couple years later, I saw the touring production of Wicked at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles, California and fell in love with live theatre. Not long after, I learned that one of the few places I was anxiety-free was onstage. Stage fright who?
After years of teaching, studying theatre, and seeing as many Broadway shows I could(n’t) afford, I wanted to switch my field. I knew I wanted to stay working with children and in theatre, but I didn’t really want to be a theatre teacher anymore. That’s when I learned there was a field where you could use theatre with mental health.
I had wanted to go to NYU for as long as I could remember, but didn’t know what I wanted to specifically study. I thought I would go to Tisch for drama at some point in my life. After playing around on Google searching up different combinations of drama, mental health, and children, I found the Master of Arts in Drama Therapy program at NYU Steinhardt. After being devastated by being waitlisted after a seven-hour virtual audition barefoot in my Hamilton Heights kitchen, I got into my dream school. And I was going even though I couldn’t afford it. Because…choices. I met some of my forever friends through my cohort, and got to walk across the stage at Radio City Music Hall to receive my diploma. That’s where the Rockettes and Tonys are! Tony-Award Viewing Actor right here!
After graduation, I knew I wanted to live closer to family. I had lived across the country for the last five years, in a different time zone. My family had moved to different parts of Oregon while I was in New York, and I decided that my next destination was Portland. But Drama Therapy and Expressive Arts Therapy were not as common in Oregon as they are in New York. Only about three Drama Therapists are in the state of Oregon, and while I am proud to be one of those three, it has been a difficult path validating the power of arts-based therapy. So, rather than letting it stop me, I have been additionally pursuing two other licensures to go with my board-certified Drama Therapist credential, so I can be the most well-rounded Drama and Expressive Arts Therapist I can be. Right now I work as a private-practice based Drama & Expressive Arts Therapist (I take pride in my clients feeling like I am a safe-enough adult and my office is a safe-enough place. I work with children, adolescents, and LGBTQIA+ adults) and a telehealth-based Drama Therapist at an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP). My next big goal is to work at a children’s hospital in Portland as a Pediatric Expressive Arts Therapist. Let’s go 2026!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.couplescounselinginportland.com/our-team/jordan-nickel-dubin/
- Instagram: @therapywithjnd
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565220627423
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-nickel-dubin-ma-p-rdt-professional-counselor-associate-359a89166/
- Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/profile/1339225
