I am A Lover of the Land, way finder, mother, artist, yogi, and Psychotherapist. I am here to build bridges and restore connections, express the truth, expand the possible, and activate the power of imagination .
I support change that is grounded, soul-led, and lasting.
From environmental studies and back-country guiding, to yoga, art making, and my deep exploration of the human psyche and soul, I have always lived with my curiosity tuned to the process of human experience in relationship to the world.
In my psychotherapy practice, I am humbled and honored to witness the incredible process of people healing.
I observe that we each carry our own medicine. We carry it in our stories, bodies, dreams, loves and instincts. I believe that your deepest pain, beauty, and desires are sacred. I believe that you belong, all of you, in your life, in this time and place. Even, and especially, when you do not feel it, you are still at home in this world. At some point, you may need the structure of a healing catalyst to support change in perspective, consciousness and nervous system. With compassionate connection and informed guidance you can tap into whatever is needed in order to heal.
I am ...
a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I hold a Master’s degree in Integral Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. I have been practicing psychotherapy with individuals, couples, families, and groups since 2007.
I am certified by CIIS/MAPS Psychedelic Assisted Therapy as of December 2021. I offer psychedelic integration and preparation. Learn about MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) hopeful and groundbreaking work with PTSD here.
I am a yoga practitioner and teacher. I began practicing yoga in 2001. I incorporate mindfulness, meditation, visualization and movement into my work with clients, to refine self-awareness, clarify feelings, manage anxiety, cultivate distress tolerance, and increase cognitive flexibility. Yoga practice informs my daily life and work with clients.
I use Attachment-Focussed EMDR. This evidence-based treatment modality is one of the most effective and inspiring interventions for trauma, anxiety, and core negative belief restructuring that I have witnessed or used. From PTSD in war veterans to survivors of sexual assault, I continue to watch this treatment change lives.
I am a wilderness guide. I have a background in wilderness leadership, and facilitate wilderness retreats and community based rites of passage groups and ceremonies for adolescent girls and women. In my graduate program, my thesis was on the theory and emerging practice of Ecopsychology. I am a certified Wilderness First Responder.
I am trained in Expressive Arts Therapy. I completed my Clinical Internship at the California Pacific Medical Center of San Francisco, using Expressive Arts Therapy and mindfulness practices with chronically and terminally ill patients for pain management and end of life integration. I continue to use art and non-verbal creative exploration with clients as a pathway for accessing wisdom and integrating unconscious material.
Reciprocity
I donate 5% of my psychotherapy practice income, on a monthly basis, to:
Please explore the vital and impactful work these organizations are doing.
This is a small gesture of reciprocity. I honor and offer my deepest love and respect for the healers and activists that have and continue to bless and uplift my life, many of whom dedicate their lives to creating a world that will be one we can survive in, together. These peoples have been and are still violently oppressed by various forces of colonialism and globalization. Among them are Lakota teachers and traditions, Shipibo and Embera peoples of South America. I also name the women of my own Celtic, Aleman, and Norse lineages, who were likely carriers of the ancient pharmacological and healing traditions of Europe.
I see that traumas of oppression live presently in all individual bodies. Doing your own healing work can potentially lead to a more peaceful and sustainable world within yourself, and I dare to say, in the world at large. By taking care of your own life, you take care of Life.
I am honored to share my practice with:
Nikki Riley AMFT
Love, Presence, Change
Nikki’s therapeutic approach comes from a place of love. She believes in meeting her clients where they are, without judgment or discrimination. Nikki’s style is integrated and person-centered, focusing on awareness of the here and now as a tool for change. She is sensitive to the influence of our environments and how that shapes us. Often we are guided by the stories we tell ourselves and the stories others tell us. It is important to assess our stories to determine if they are relevant or if they are someone else’s stories. It is through the exploration of the past and present that we are able to support a healthy future.
Nikki is a recent graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno with a Master’s degree in Marriage, Family, Couples Counseling. She lives in Truckee, California with her husband, Brendan, sons, Dylan and Harlan and their dog, Ajsa. Nikki has many passions including art, backpacking and traveling the world.
Nikki is currently accepting new clients. She works with individual adults, couples, and youth.
For a consultation with Nikki to see if you are aligned for therapeutic work, please reach out:
therapy@nikkiriley.com
(530)448-1396
