Rochelle Nakoa, LCSW

Rochelle Nakoa is an LCSW - a Licensed Clinical Social Worker - who brings 13 years of experience supporting people through complex life transitions, trauma, and relationship challenges. Her background includes hospice work with patients and families navigating end-of-life care, readjustment counseling to help veterans and their families return to civilian life, and clinical support for active military members addressing substance use and family or command-related stresses. In a leadership role as Chief of Mental Health within the Department of Corrections, she provided individual and group therapy for men, women, and transgender populations in incarcerated settings, gaining extensive experience with diverse clinical needs. These roles informed a focused practice in sexual trauma and intimate partner violence, and shaped an approach attentive to both individual healing and relational dynamics.

Rochelle practices from a client-centered perspective that emphasizes the person at the heart of therapy. She encourages clients to clarify thoughts and feelings through reflective work - including writing and organizing experiences - to better understand their circumstances and move toward chosen goals. By offering a judgment-free therapeutic space, she aims to reduce shame and burden so individuals can explore identity, rebuild relationships, and pursue practical steps toward healthier living.

Approaches That Guide Online Care

Client-Centered Therapy places the person and their experiences at the center of treatment, encouraging self-discovery and personal growth through empathy and nonjudgmental support. It helps with identity concerns, self-esteem, relationship issues, and navigating major life changes.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and gently changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. It is practical and goal-oriented, often used for anxiety, depression, stress management, and coping with symptoms that interfere with daily functioning.

Attachment-Based Therapy explores patterns in relationships that originate from early bonds and life experiences, helping people understand how those patterns affect current intimacy, trust, and communication. It can be especially useful for attachment issues, relationship recovery after trauma, and improving close connections.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Rochelle works with each person to assess needs, goals, and preferences, and tailors the therapeutic plan accordingly so the methods align with what feels most helpful and feasible.

Online therapy offers flexible access to licensed professionals through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, maintain continuity during transitions, and receive consistent support from wherever the client is located.