Therapy is all
about you.

You are the expert on yourself. While you are in therapy, you’re the “captain of the ship” so to speak. I see my role as more like the “first mate.” My job is to help you get where you want to go. I’d like to share a story with you about a client I used to see. Let’s call her “Annie.”

How Annie Finally “Got It”

When Annie first came to my office for therapy, she seemed like that person that all of us would think had it all. She was smart, had a great job, and was about to get married to the man of her dreams who was by all accounts a really great guy. She was funny, personable, and very well-spoken.

Within the first five minutes of our therapy session, Annie was in tears.

Annie spent her entire life being a high-achiever. She was excellent at everything she did. She made straight A’s her entire life and graduated with honors. Annie was a star athlete in school. Everyone liked her growing up, and she remained well-liked as an adult. She was well-respected at her job and was on the fast track to upper management. But she was absolutely miserable.

After Annie came regularly to therapy and we began to dig deeper into her past and her feelings, Annie came to the realization that she was not living the life she wanted. She walked into my office with a smile on her face, and told me that she finally got it.

It turned out to be that Annie had been living her life based on what she believed were the expectations of everyone around her. She realized that she excelled at all these things out of some sense of fear that if she didn’t, she would end up losing the love and respect of those around her. In fact, the only decision that she ever made that was really hers was to marry this awesome guy she was engaged to.

In our following therapy sessions, we worked on Annie finding her “bliss.”

She found a new career that she was really excited about. She tried new things that she had always wanted to but was afraid that she would seem foolish if she had. The best thing about her journey? She learned she could pursue what she was passionate about and still maintain the love and respect from those people who mattered to her the most.

And she married that awesome guy, and they are disgustingly happy!

About John

John was raised in Franklin, Tennessee, and received his master’s degree in Professional Counseling from Lipscomb University. He began his career in Knoxville, Tennessee where he was a therapist at the Helen Ross McNabb Center. He then moved back to the Nashville area, where he practiced psychotherapy at both Lipscomb University and Mercy Community Healthcare.

John is on the board of the Nashville Psychotherapy Institute, a local organization that offers continuing education and community for practicing psychotherapists, and currently holds the position of Chair-Elect. John is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT).

john-nichols

In his spare time, John enjoys traveling and doing anything that allows him to be outside. He is an avid reader and is currently working on his first novel.

John grew up in the restaurant business, which has led him to become an amateur chef and wine aficionado. He loves animals and has never met a dog he didn’t like.

Are You Ready to “Get It”?

Not everyone’s journey is Annie’s. But your journey is so important because it’s yours, and only you can travel it. If you’re ready to take that first step, call me today and let’s get started.

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