Nichole Palmer

Nikki is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist who works with teens, young adults, and adults navigating ADHD (both diagnosed and self-identified), anxiety, trauma, and the complex intersections of these experiences. Grounded in a healing-centered, whole-person approach, she looks beyond immediate symptoms to explore all areas of a client's life, fostering overall alignment, health, and genuine happiness. She is comprehensively trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and operates from a deeply humanistic framework, balancing compassionate acceptance with practical, actionable change. Nikki believes that therapeutic knowledge should never be gatekept, and she actively incorporates psychoeducation into her sessions—particularly regarding neuroanatomy—to empower clients with a deeper understanding of their own nervous systems. Nikki strives to be "genuinely human" in the room, actively working to reduce the traditional therapist-client power dynamic. She brings her authentic self to every session, utilizing purposeful, clinically informed self-disclosure to validate clients' lived experiences, model vulnerability, and actively reduce the shame often associated with mental health struggles. Nikki earned her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Psychology from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, where she contributed to clinical research at the Center for Cognitive Behavior Therapy. She went on to earn her Master of Arts (M.A.) in Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), specializing in Community Mental Health, which solidified her holistic, somatic, and progressive approach to therapy. Nikki’s diverse clinical background includes working as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT), providing school-based therapy during her practicum, and supporting high-acuity youth in alternative special education at Sierra School of Sonoma County. These experiences deeply informed her transition away from compliance-based behavioral models toward a relational, neurodivergent-affirming, and collaborative practice. Nikki is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT #138589) practicing under the licensed supervision of Kira Kayler, LMFT # 46211