Nicole Kough, LCPC

Nicole Kough is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) with 15 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, grief, and relationship challenges. She practices from Illinois and draws on practical methods to help clients feel heard and make concrete changes.

Her style is warm and nonjudgmental. She listens first, then helps people name troubling thoughts and decide on small steps forward. Sessions focus on real problems and doable strategies rather than long lectures or jargon.

Nicole often uses cognitive behavioral techniques to help clients notice unhelpful thinking and try different reactions. She also blends solution-focused and narrative ideas to help people see strengths, reframe difficult stories, and test new approaches to everyday problems.

Common areas she addresses include depression, panic and social anxiety, communication and intimacy concerns, family and blended family issues, and coping with life changes such as separation or career stress. She also works with anger, guilt and shame, and concerns around self-esteem and forgiveness.

Nicole adapts sessions to each person’s needs. Some people start with short-term goals and skill-building, while others work more slowly on trauma or long-standing patterns. She aims to help clients leave sessions with a clear next step and something practical to try between meetings.

How Nicole’s approaches translate to online care

Nicole commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Solution-Focused Therapy in online sessions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps people identify unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors to reduce anxiety or depression. Solution-Focused Therapy centers on practical goals and small experiments, so sessions often focus on the next step you can try between meetings.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with clients to choose methods that match their goals, preferences, and the issues they bring. Plans can shift as needs change, and Nicole tailors the mix of techniques to the person rather than following a rigid formula.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for real-time conversation and working through exercises together. Phone sessions can fit a break at work or when bandwidth is limited. Live chat and messaging allow shorter check-ins, journaling-style conversation, or ongoing support between calls. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and try approaches that feel manageable.