We were lucky to catch up with Nicole Hanhan recently and have shared our conversation below.
Nicole, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We believe kindness is contagious and so we’d love for you to share with us and our audience about the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?
The kindest thing anyone has ever done for me is believing in me. Dating back to when I was a less developed version of myself, I wasn’t as tapped into my purpose, nor was I immersed in an environment for the transformation I was seeking and craving. I felt like I needed more so I left my comfort zone to grow. When I moved to Arizona where I attended graduate school, my life changed. I’ve always been independent but moving to a state where I didn’t know anyone challenged me in a way where I inevitably got to start my life over. Support and community are important to me and within that, I found incredible mentors who gifted me with opportunities because they believed in me. The experience of having role models who see you before you truly see yourself was remarkable and it gave me a taste of what I was missing, which was trust and confidence in myself and trust in where I was heading. Slowly but surely, I began to create my community within my graduate cohort as I embraced what makes me unique. I started to realize that when someone believes in you, something changes within you– confidence increases, you feel a sense of belonging, courage expands, and you can take more risks and grow. The community I found empowered me and the experience felt like an awakening of self. I’m incredibly grateful for all my friends and family who believe in me and continue to support me.
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
Thank you again for having me! I introduce myself as someone passionate, ambitious, and creative. I have a down-to-earth personality which integrates well into my profession. I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, another fancy word for therapist, and I absolutely love what I do. I believe in the work, and I live by it.
I got into the mental health and healing field because I wanted to be of service in some way. After interning as a pre-law candidate in my early years, I decided to pivot and found another way to tap into my passion and entered the Master of Social Work program at ASU. I believe in the power of community, service, and connection, and those key elements were highlighted in the program. After several years of experience and growth, I opened my own business.
In my practice, I provide therapy services to increase emotional leadership and resiliency in adolescents, adults, couples, families and first responders. Therapy is a collaborative endeavor and through this relationship I’m able to assist in empowering my clients to reach the goals they set for themselves. I believe that it’s important for people to see themselves in their authenticity and lead with that truth. There is truly an evolution of self that occurs when we start believing in ourselves and it’s a magnificent and magical process.
Clients sitting across the couch from me typically present with a myriad of challenges where it has led to some inability to reach a goal or their full potential. Within therapy, a space is provided where one can have the room and safety to explore their depths, release the false beliefs they’ve built their lives around which thus grants space within to create a healthier life that aligns with their truth. There’s purpose in suffering and it usually leads one to seek out healing in the first place. When we shift our paradigm, our world changes and a sense of freedom ensues. I specialize in EMDR therapy, which stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. This method facilitates the accessing and processing of traumatic memories to an adaptive resolution. In other words, when we process our past, we willfully and intentionally surrender and let go of the negative outlook we had about ourselves, others and/or the world. It’s truly liberating.
What sets me apart from others is my originality and authenticity. The service I provide is my training and education as well as my passion for healing – in myself and in the collective, my belief in humanity, the wisdom I’ve gained through life experiences and from the wisdom my clients have shared with me on their journeys. I’m also a silly person at my core, so humor seems to be casually integrated in my professional services which gives off a comfortable vibe. As the old saying goes, if you aren’t laughing, you aren’t healing. Additionally, I’ve had a number of clients begin their healing journeys with me and report reluctance prior to starting therapy then stating how different their beliefs were of therapy versus their reality and experience of it. I love therapy so much and this passion shows in the work I do.
What I’m most proud of is how far I’ve come and the vulnerability I’ve been able to tap into. I find it so important to remain in balance and harmony despite what is happening around me. Balance has been my word and goal for 2023 and I believe that when we heal ourselves, the outside world falls into place. How you respond to life is a reflection of you and how much you’ve healed, and this is where your power and your grace awaken.
What potential clients and people need to know about me and my brand is that my branding is my purpose and it’s what I stand for. For me, it isn’t just a business but a way to stand in my truth and serve for the greater good. I always try to see people for their truth and that means continuing to do the work on myself and standing in my own light. I believe that everyone is good enough and I want the collective to know that and not let doubts bury their light and not let fear control them. We rise together.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
A lesson I had to unlearn was to stop being invisible and start celebrating myself. Growing up Arab American meant I had immigrant parents set in their own ways, shaped by their own traditional upbringing, culture and values. It often meant living in a completely different time from current society. As a younger woman and because of my upbringing, I was a bit rebellious, resisted convention and patriarchy, and it often had consequences. I began to develop a suppressed minority mindset which prevented me from fulfilling certain goals. I realized with trial and error that there isn’t this magical table that all successful people sit at. You get to decide who you want to be in this world and follow that path. This realization allowed me to step into my authenticity and I learned that the more in tune you are with yourself, the more magnetic you become. I began to feel more empowered and safer in my being and it continues to allow me to be bold and take the necessary risks to elevate and grow.
My culture is incredibly beautiful and I’m grateful for my experience because it has led me to audaciously live my life and to serve those who have similar experiences. Because of my understanding and involvement in these matters, I’ve developed a niche for serving adult kids of immigrants who experience first generational issues. This has led me to assist my clients in keeping the beautiful gifts culture and tradition bring, while also undoing and healing the trauma of what no longer serves them to develop into amazing authentic creative beings they were meant to be.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
I thoroughly enjoy reading, meeting new people, listening to different perspectives and there have been a variety of resources and experiences that have impacted my entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy. I have a remarkable community of friends, family and colleagues who are entrepreneurs that I get to immerse myself into. My parents have also owned their own business since I was a child and I’ve developed a strong work ethic and an understanding of the hard work it takes. Other resources that have impacted me include workshops, international retreats, athletes, coaches, advanced trainings, traveling, different cultures, clients and so on. I function at my highest when I feel inspired, so I have a habit of seeking out knowledge actively to expand my thinking and offer myself different perspectives. What I learn in life typically translates into how I run my business and the evolution of my brand. A book that changed my perspective on life is called The Untethered Soul by Michael A Singer. A book that gifted me with financial literacy is Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hanhanwellness.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hanhanwellness/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hanhanwellness
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-hanhan-lcsw-72713355/
Image Credits
Amanda Osborne