Nicole Forester, LPC, LPCC

With 16 years of experience, Nicole Forester offers warm, nonjudgmental care for people facing stress, anxiety, addiction, trauma, grief, relationship concerns, and a wide range of life adjustments. She emphasizes listening as a tool to help clients reconnect with their own voice and invites people to speak honestly and directly to the degree they feel comfortable.

Nicole holds licensure as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in California and as a Licensed Professional Counselor in Colorado, credentials that authorize her to provide professional counseling services in those states. She is also a Nationally Board-Certified Music Therapist, and she brings training in both music-based and talk therapies to her work. Nicole earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music Therapy from Utah State University in 2002 and completed an internship at Bethany Children’s Home in Pennsylvania. She completed a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Phoenix in 2007.

Her clinical background includes work in inpatient units and neuropsychiatric settings, addiction recovery and outpatient services, in-home crisis response, hospice care for children and teens, intensive outpatient programming, and a private practice she maintained in San Francisco from 2012 to 2019. Nicole encourages prospective clients to interview their therapist to ensure a good fit and welcomes conversations about the kind of support someone is seeking.

She aims to answer questions about the process and to provide objective listening that supports people as they navigate change. Nicole appreciates the courage it takes to seek help and invites interested individuals to reach out to discuss next steps.

Approach-Focused Online Therapy with Practical Flexibility

Nicole integrates Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to address a wide array of concerns. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps clients clarify personal values and learn skills for responding to difficult thoughts and emotions so they can move toward a meaningful life even when challenges persist. Client-Centered Therapy centers on empathetic, nonjudgmental listening and supports clients in exploring their feelings and self-understanding at their own pace. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns, which can be useful for anxiety, depression, trauma-related symptoms, and stress-related problems.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is part of the collaborative process; Nicole works with each person to determine which methods best match their needs, goals, and preferences, and she adjusts strategies over time as progress and priorities evolve.

Online sessions offer practical flexibility for people balancing work, family, or caregiving responsibilities. Through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, licensed professionals can provide continuity of care and make it easier to attend sessions from different locations. These options support regular engagement with therapy and allow the treatment to fit more naturally into a client’s life.