
About Atlas
Counseling
About Nikki
Personal
For me, being mixed race in America has been weird and confusing, to say the least. As the daughter of a black father and a white mother, I grew up feeling like I didn't quite fit in anywhere. It took years for me to feel comfortable in the "both-and" of my racial identity, and I wish I had someone to help me process and understand my complex feelings and thoughts sooner. I want to be that "someone" for other mixed race folk trying to figure it all out.
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I'm also an athlete passionate about helping other athletes. I get the struggle! I grew up playing basketball, was privileged to play at the collegiate level at Austin Peay State University, and was top of my class academically. I was driven, focused, goal-oriented, and high-achieving, like many student athletes are. These same qualities that are helpful to excel at sports and in school can also drive anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems.
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I am a native Tennessean and willing to admit that I'm more of a Vols supporter than fan. I am a wife and mom of two. In my free time you can find me hanging with family and friends, working out, listening to Afrobeats, singing, shopping, playing basketball, or indulging in a good Netflix binge. I'm also here for a good Saturday brunch, chai tea latte, and just about anything sweet!
Professional
About Nikki
I received my Masters Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Middle Tennessee State University in 2016. I have been practicing as a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Tennessee since 2019 (License #4693). I have over 10 years of experience working in mental and behavioral health with a variety of ages, including children, teens, and adults. Before Atlas, I worked as a primary therapist in a professional women's residential program in Murfreesboro, treating co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders, and as a therapist in a private group practice in Nashville, where I provided individual therapy and lead DBT skills groups for adolescents and adults.
Counseling Re-Imagined
Mission Statement
The mission of Atlas Counseling is to support teens, young adults, and adults who feel overwhelmed by the added stress of being mixed race, BIPOC, and/or athletes in already complex phases of life. I bridge lived experience and clinical training to offer hope, help, and healing for clients who are struggling with anxiety, depression, identity and belonging, low self-esteem, trauma, phase of life transitions, and sports performance.