Profile / United States
Nicole Kough, LCPC
Illinois
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor - Anxiety and Relationships
See online therapy options- CBT and solution-focused
- Client-centered listening
- Focus on practical steps
About Nicole
Nicole Kough is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in Illinois with 15 years of experience. She works with people who report stress, anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, grief, and changes around career or family. Nicole also addresses trauma and abuse, intimacy-related issues, anger, and self-esteem difficulties.
She uses clear, structured approaches to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and habits. Sessions focus on practical steps people can try between meetings. Nicole draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and solution-focused ideas to identify patterns and test different responses.
Her style is direct and client-centered. She listens, reflects what she hears, and helps the person decide what to try next. Conversations often include short experiments or small behavior changes to see what helps in daily life.
Nicole also incorporates narrative techniques to help people reframe their experiences and recognize recurring themes. That can be useful for relationship problems, grief, or coping after a loss or separation. She pays attention to communication problems, blended family concerns, and issues such as jealousy, guilt, and forgiveness.
Many people work on specific skills like managing panic attacks, reducing social anxiety, or improving self-love. Nicole helps set concrete goals and checks progress over time. To begin, she asks about the current problem, what has been tried, and what a reasonable next step would look like.
How her approaches translate to online work
Nicole commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Solution-Focused Therapy in practical ways. CBT helps people spot patterns of thinking that fuel anxiety or depression and then try new responses in daily life. Solution-focused work centers on small, immediate changes and identifying what already helps so sessions move toward specific, short-term goals.She also uses Client-Centered and Narrative approaches to listen closely and to help people tell their story differently. These methods are collaborative - the therapist and client decide together which techniques to use based on goals and preferences. Finding the best fit is treated as part of the work rather than a one-time decision.
If you plan to meet online, confirm the session formats Nicole currently offers before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, allow a shorter check-in when time is limited, or avoid travel on busy days. The therapist will discuss practical arrangements and how to structure sessions so they match day-to-day life and the goals you bring.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
15+ years
Listed in
Illinois
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Nicole usually help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship issues, grief, self-esteem, trauma and related concerns such as panic attacks and social anxiety.
How would she use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in sessions?
CBT is used to identify unhelpful thoughts and test alternative responses with small behavioral experiments between sessions.
What is her background and experience?
Nicole has worked in counseling since 2009 and brings 15 years of experience supporting people with mood and relationship concerns.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is an LCPC - Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor - practicing in Illinois.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with her?
She is not accepting international clients at this time.
How are sessions paid for?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I start a first session?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule the first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe, use the crisis numbers.