Nikkia Matthews
Compassionate, skills-focused support for change
LMSW Michigan
- Experience
- 11 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Family
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Languages
- English
About Nikkia
Nikkia Matthews is a licensed master social worker with more than a decade of clinical experience in Michigan.
Background and approach
She began practicing in 2012 and has since worked with people facing a wide range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, addictions, stress, and relationship or family struggles. Her background also includes support for issues such as self-esteem, intimacy-related matters, parenting challenges, career transitions, compassion fatigue, and ADHD.
Her therapeutic stance blends practical skills with attention to emotional healing. Nikkia draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy alongside client-centered and emotion-focused methods to help clients develop new ways of thinking and responding to difficult situations.
She also integrates elements of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and relational methods like the Gottman approach when addressing interpersonal patterns. Sessions emphasize collaborative goal-setting, building coping skills, and restoring balance across life domains.
Nikkia frames therapy as a partnership aimed at practical change - guiding clients through grief, life adjustments, forgiveness work, and communication or family-of-origin concerns until they feel ready to move forward.
Therapeutic approaches and how they translate to online care
Many clients find cognitive behavioral work helpful when they want concrete strategies to shift unhelpful thoughts and behaviors; CBT focuses on identifying patterns, practicing new responses, and applying skills to reduce anxiety, manage mood, or change unhelpful habits. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) emphasizes clarifying values and building psychological flexibility so people can take meaningful action even when difficult feelings arise, which can support coping with life changes or chronic stress. Client-centered therapy prioritizes the therapeutic relationship, offering empathic listening and validation to help clients explore emotions and build self-awareness.Finding the right mix of methods is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with each person to choose approaches that fit their goals, needs, and preferences, adjusting techniques over time as progress and priorities shift. This helps ensure sessions stay practical and relevant to daily life.
Online formats such as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and access support from home. These options allow for flexible appointment times and different ways of engaging with therapeutic exercises and check-ins, supporting continuity of care and steady skill practice between sessions.
Frequently asked questions
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Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
11+ years
Licensed
Michigan
Languages
English