Nicole is a graduate of the counseling program at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. She completed her undergraduate degree in sociology at Calvin University. She received much of her clinical training here at Roots where she developed her clinical skillset as an intern before joining the team as a clinical therapist. Nicole has spent many years working with children – in raising her own, in serving as a Kids’ Hope mentor to school-aged children, and through long-term involvement overseeing children’s programs at Covenant Life Church in Grand Haven. Her role as a preschool coach, in which she ensured positive experiences for teachers and children, was the impetus for her eventual pursuit of a counseling degree. It was in this role that she discovered a passion for working with children, particularly those with difficulty adjusting to the classroom experience due to anxiety, grief and loss, or behavioral challenges. 

Nicole also volunteers as a client advocate at her local pregnancy center, where she meets with women facing unplanned pregnancies and provides support and encouragement, as well as childbirth and parenting education. She has seen firsthand the developmental effects of trauma and its impact on family systems, and is passionate about helping individuals and families break these cycles of trauma.