We recently connected with Nicole Davis and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Nicole, thanks for joining us today. How’s you first get into your field – what was your first job in this field?
Before my practicum, or internship, semester started I was working full-time with a small child in daycare, so I was looking for something convenient for my schedule. Making sure that I could work within the confines of my current world was a necessity for me.
I searched for counseling jobs needing interns in my area and a counseling agency connected with my church to see if there were opportunities there as well. Keep in mind, this was at the tail end of 2020 and I ended up having virtual interviews with both agencies that I reached out to fairly close together.
Lifeologie Oak Cliff had a 2nd round of interviews in person and after taking a tour of the facility and meeting the leadership team, I was SOLD! The vibe at Lifeologie was something I’d never seen or experienced at a counseling space before.
During this time period, I just found out that my mom was diagnosed with a terminal illness and I wasn’t sure how life would look for me as I embarked on adding an internship to my already full schedule, along with caring for my mother. In the 2nd interview with the leadership team, the owner of the location asked me, “how could [they] be of support to me”? I was speechless. I’ve never been asked that question before. Ever!
The compassion that was shown in that moment won me over and I knew that I found the right place for me.
The location was perfect for me and fit into my little commute of work, day care drop offs and pick ups and home with little interruption.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
In my former life, I was a career Corporate Woman. After graduating with my undergraduate degree in Sociology and working in the non-profit world, I was on a serious hunt to find work that could guarantee that I’d be able to support myself and ended up finding some stability and successes in the finance industry.
After about 14 years growing my career, I had had enough of the workplace stress and no work-life balance. I had started to experience panic attacks while at work and decided it was time to make a change. I took myself back to therapy and it was there that I found out about Amberton University where I could get an affordable education in the field that I really wanted to be in and could finally see a path forward out of my stressful career.
Helping people has always been my mission and counseling others had always been my passion.
At Lifeologie Oak Cliff, I work with adults and couples navigate their lives, past and present, in the hopes of finding better ways to cope, communicate more effectively and live happier, healthier lives. I work one-on-one with my clients to learn the root of what’s causing them problems and collaborate with them to sort them out and find effective and meaningful solutions.
My number #1 goal is to empower my clients to find their voice and live the life they ultimately want to live, the way they want to live it.
I see clients both in-person and on-line, during the week and on Saturday’s. I know what it’s like to have to manage a busy schedule during the week and still want to invest in some self-help, too. Saturday sessions are a must for some and I’m here for it!
I am a Certified Trauma Professional, offering Attachment informed and a Prepare/Enrich Facilitator for couples.
If you’re looking for an interactive therapist who seeks to understand your world, in a safe and compassionate environment – you’ve found her!
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
Coming from a high stress, “no boundary-having” industry, I learned early in my working career that in order to climb the corporate ladder, you have to make yourself available to answer texts, calls and emails outside of work hours, work weekends and basically be on-call to show your level of commitment to the job. This was not healthy but it seemed necessary for what I thought I wanted my life to look like.
I wish somebody would’ve taken me by the shoulders and SHOOK ME!
My unlearning of this lifestyle of having no boundaries with my work has followed me into my career as a therapist. I not only talk to clients about the necessity of having healthy boundaries but I’m also learning that I still need them – even with my clients!
I love helping my clients! I often think of my clients in between sessions and if I’m contacted in the evening I find myself reaching back out to them to help with whatever they need. I am also one of those therapists who doesn’t enforce time boundaries when a client is nearing the end of a session, because I know what it’s like to really be into a session, as a client, and the therapist cuts me off! It’s not a good feeling… but allowing someone to go past their 50-minutes means that another client’s time is cut short.
I’m a work in progress with unlearning the old and feeling comfortable with placing much needed boundaries for myself personally and professionally.
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
Some of the best advice I was given by a mentor was that my internship should be messy – meaning, you should work at different places and gain all the experience you can get. Companies look for people with experience and this is the time to gain the experience that’ll make you hirable.
I was also given a referral to supervise my next step as an LPC Associate and I’m so grateful that I was gifted with this referral!
Your Supervisor is someone that you should be able to learn from, someone who is knowledgeable in your desired area of expertise and willing to share information to assist you in your internship journey. As an LPC Associate, you may be paying for this supervision, so look at this as an investment into your professional career. You should get something out of this relationship. Think of this person as a professional mentor who will help to shape your future.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wefixbrains.com/therapists/nicole-davis?hsLang=en
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therapywnikki/
Image Credits
Aijha Banks, Lifeologie Oak Cliff, Intern