About Nicole
Nicole Kough is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) practicing in Illinois with 15 years of experience in mental health care. She trained at Lindenwood University and has worked with people experiencing depression, anxiety, relationship challenges, grief, trauma, and a variety of life transitions.
Background and approach
Nicole blends practical interventions with empathetic listening to help clients explore patterns and move toward meaningful change. Her approach is supportive and nonjudgmental, emphasizing collaboration and individualized planning.
She commonly uses cognitive behavioral techniques to identify and reframe unhelpful thoughts and solution-focused strategies to develop concrete steps forward. Nicole also draws on narrative ideas to help clients make sense of their experiences and rewrite problematic stories about themselves.
Therapy with Nicole is tailored to each person’s needs, whether addressing self-esteem and intimacy concerns, managing panic attacks and social anxiety, navigating blended family or divorce-related issues, or coping with anger and career stress. Sessions aim to combine understanding, practical tools, and compassionate guidance so clients can build skills and pursue healthier patterns in daily life.
Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care
Nicole commonly combines cognitive behavioral therapy and solution-focused methods in online work. CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thought patterns and learning skills to change reactions and behaviors, which can be useful for anxiety, depression, panic, and social phobia. Solution-focused therapy centers on setting concrete goals and building on a client's strengths to create practical steps forward, making it well suited for relationship concerns, communication problems, career decisions, and coping with life changes.Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process and will happen collaboratively. Nicole will work with clients to clarify needs, goals, and preferences and then tailor techniques and pacing so the plan fits each individual. This collaborative process helps ensure that methods feel relevant and manageable.
Online therapy with Nicole is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility. These formats make it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules, offer continuity through transitions, and allow ongoing access to counseling without travel, while still focusing on effective, evidence-informed strategies delivered by a licensed professional.
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Nicole commonly address?
What is Nicole's therapeutic style?
How much clinical experience does she have?
Where is Nicole licensed and located?
Does she offer services in other languages or to international clients?
What session formats are available?
How is payment and cost handled?
How do I begin working with Nicole?
Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Grief
Also works with
- Anger management
- Blended family issues
- Career difficulties
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Family conflicts
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Intimacy-related issues
- Jealousy
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 15 years
- Licensed
- Illinois
- Languages
- English