
About Me
TLDR
Quick Highlights
I’m a therapist who believes we’re wired for relationship — even when trauma, shame, or life itself makes that feel impossible.
At Unbound Phoenix Therapy, I help individuals, couples, and families untangle old patterns, rebuild trust, and create relationships that actually feel safe.
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My style? Creative, trauma-informed, and real.
I blend IFS-informed EMDR, emotionally-focused work, DBT, and expressive arts to help you find your way back to yourself and the people who matter most.
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It’s equal parts grit, grace, and a little gallows humor — because healing’s hard, but it doesn’t have to be lonely.
Advanced training in relational and trauma therapy throughout Virginia for individuals, couples and families of all ages.
Specialization in working with polyamorous, kinky, fat, neurodiverse, and LGBTQIA+ populations.


Meet Nicki
My Story
Born to Haul Band-Aids and Hope
I was that kid who couldn’t walk past a scraped knee or a broken friendship.
My mom kept bulk boxes of Band-Aids because I believed no one should hurt alone.
That “patch-it-up” instinct became the heartbeat of Unbound Phoenix Therapy — a space built on the belief that healing happens through relationship.
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If the Map Didn’t Exist, I Drew One
Creativity has always been my way of staying connected when life got messy.
From launching a middle-school newspaper to studying social justice in India, I’ve always created the map when none existed.
Now, I help individuals, couples, and families do the same — sketching new routes toward understanding, repair, and belonging.
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A Map-Maker for Healing (and Relating)
Most people who find me are stuck in cycles that keep love just out of reach —
partners feeling distant, families repeating old wounds, or individuals who’ve learned to protect rather than connect.
I specialize in trauma-informed relationship work for:
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Partners and families healing from disconnection or conflict
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Adults navigating complex PTSD and attachment wounds
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Neurodivergent or “neurospicy” folks trying to make relationships work in a world that often doesn’t fit
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Together, we’ll build therapy around you — not a textbook version of who you “should” be.
My approach blends IFS-informed EMDR, emotionally-focused connection work, DBT skills, body-trust, sand-tray, and expressive arts to help you (and your people) find steady ground again.
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I Walk the Walk
Every tool I use, I’ve lived.
I know how hard it is to show up, to rebuild trust, and to believe connection is still possible.
That’s why I meet clients as partners in the process — not projects to be fixed.
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Why I Love This Work
Watching people who once thought they were “too broken” or “too far gone” start finding their way back — to themselves and to each other — is my favorite kind of magic.
It takes grit, grace, and a little gallows humor, and honestly, that’s my vibe too.
My Approach in a Nutshell
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Creative & flexible: if it doesn’t work for your brain, we’ll invent something that does.
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Collaborative: you steer the ship; I bring maps, snacks, and trauma-informed navigation.
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Evidence-based & experiential: EMDR • IFS-informed parts work • Emotionally-Focused Therapy • DBT • body-trust practices • sand-tray & expressive-arts.
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Affirming: LGBTQ+, neurodiverse, ENM, kink-aware, body-neutral-to-positive, trauma-savvy.
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Human & witty: therapy can be deeply serious without being painfully stiff.
