Nicola Pierre-Smith, LPC knows it is hard for people to ask for help, and that shame and mental health stigma are barriers to starting therapy. It is especially hard for folks from racialized groups who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) to go to therapy because of cultural norms and the preference to talk to friends, family, or religious leaders instead. With this in mind, Nicola created Melanated Women’s Health, LLC to provide a culturally affirming and anti-oppressive therapy space for people who have been marginalized because of their social identities. She understands that the intersections of a person’s identities influence how he/she/they engage with the world.
Nicola offers trauma treatment for single-issue and complex trauma, using Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). She also offers therapy for anxiety, symptoms of depression, stress management, and issues relating to sexual and gender expression. Significantly, Nicola is passionate about working with adult children of immigrants. Clients who have worked with Nicola reported increased self-compassion, confidence, assertive communication and self-advocacy skills to deal with issues such as relationship conflicts and racism based stress.
In terms of her background, Nicola Pierre-Smith, LPC attended universities in Jamaica and America, and is licensed in Pennsylvania. She has completed trainings in Clinical Supervision and Transgender Education at Temple University. Outside of clinical practice, Nicola offers supervision services for the PA State Board licensing, and enjoys helping provisionally licensed Therapists overcome Imposter Syndrome.
Nicola has a wide range of clinical, leadership, and training experiences. For instance, she served as a Director and Clinical Coordinator for a residential treatment center, and has provided mental health treatment to court-involved and forensic populations in community outpatient agencies. Nicola has also conducted burn-out prevention and emotional wellness workshops for companies such as HelloFresh, as well as non-profit agencies.
