Nikkia Matthews, LMSW

Nikkia Matthews is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) with more than a decade of clinical experience supporting adolescents, young adults, couples, and families. She focuses on relationship exploration, pre-marital counseling, women’s issues, life adjustments, and trauma work, guiding clients through practical skill building and emotional processing. Her practice addresses common difficulties such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, life-cycle transitions, and the long-term effects of trauma, while also offering support for parenting challenges, grief, addiction concerns, and self-esteem struggles.

Nikkia combines a hands-on, holistic approach with evidence-informed methods to help clients heal mind, body, and spirit together. She integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Family Systems perspectives with strength-based and solution-focused techniques, and incorporates expressive arts and music-inspired activities when these methods suit a client’s goals. This blend of approaches helps clients develop coping strategies, improve communication, and navigate conflict or attachment-related concerns.

Whether the work centers on resolving past wounds, improving intimacy, or adapting to life changes, Nikkia emphasizes collaboration and skill development. She supports clients as they uncover, face, and reconcile difficult experiences and as they build new patterns that foster resilience and growth.

Therapeutic approaches and online care

CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, helps clients identify and shift unhelpful thoughts and behaviors through practical exercises and skill building - it is often used for anxiety, depression, and coping with life changes. Emotionally-Focused Therapy focuses on emotions and attachment patterns to improve closeness and communication in relationships - it can be especially helpful for couples working through conflict or intimacy issues. The Gottman Method offers structured tools for partners to strengthen communication, manage conflict, and rebuild trust, drawing on research about relationship dynamics.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and Nikkia works collaboratively with each person or couple to select methods that fit their needs, goals, and preferences. She adapts techniques over time so therapy remains responsive and practical.

Online therapy with licensed professionals offers flexibility and accessibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules, maintain continuity during life transitions, and access support from locations across Michigan while working with therapists best suited to each person’s concerns.