Aayeh "Nicky" Falahat, LMSW

she/her/hers

Welcome. Beginning therapy can be intimidating; you may not know what to expect. I recognize that you are taking a major step forward and seek to honor that by creating a warm and supportive environment where you feel comfortable speaking openly and honestly about your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Whether you are seeking help individually, as a couple, or as a family, I strive to make you feel that I understand what’s going on in your life in a supportive, warm, and sensitive manner as we discuss, explore and develop deeper insights into your current challenges. Therapy sessions with me involve taking time to identify and meet your needs. I can listen and share the burden with you. If there is a particular problem you need to solve, we could approach it together. I aim to provide you with warmth, emotional safety, acceptance, and a sense of empowerment. I want to understand where you’re coming from, what you’re dealing with, and how you envision your growth. I am able to work with you on a variety of challenges – from dealing with mental health symptoms to addressing complicated relationship dynamics. I help clients with letting go of what is holding them back, changing their habitual ways of thinking and/or behaving, and accepting the unchangeable. 

In therapy, my clients learn to understand the relational patterns that may keep them stuck, manage distressing emotions and thoughts, learn communication and problem-solving skills, and set healthy boundaries. Ultimately, empowering my clients to build healthier relationships with themselves, their loved ones, and their community is my purpose. 

As a middle eastern practitioner in this field, I have a particular relationship to diversity in my work. I have learned that to begin cultivating trust with clients, I must acknowledge my identity as a clinician who holds power and privilege in the therapy space. What I value most as a clinician is meeting my clients where they are and creating a safe space where healing can begin. I embrace folks of all gender identities, orientations, and countries of origin. 

As a first-generation Iranian-American, I know the challenges and successes that come from having an integrated cultural identity, personally and professionally. I’ve been privileged to help many minority clients focus on issues of identity and personal agency. Through this work, I’ve seen how living “between cultures”—navigating a multiplicity of perspectives, values, expectations, and obligations—can be instructive to anyone trying to make sense of the contradictions and conflicts in their lives and within themselves. In our work together, I aim to provide a space where we can build a relationship that allows you to heal from mental health challenges that are often tied to identity, culture, racism/discrimination, and/or family/intergenerational conflict. I practice from an intersectional perspective and welcome and support conversations around race, class, power, privilege, and systemic oppression. I know that our experiences can vary greatly depending on our intersectional identities. I take a relational approach to my work with clients, grounded in the notion that there is no “one size fits all” in therapy. Therefore my approach is designed to fit your needs using a flexible, eclectic, and culturally sensitive lens. I also draw from my trainings in Cognitive Behavioral, Dialectical Behavioral, Attachment, and Emotionally-Focused therapies. 

I have worked with individuals and families who are going through all sorts of seasons — from difficult life transitions to experiencing traumas. I received my Masters in Social Work from the University of Texas and gained clinical experience working in elder care, community mental health (IOP and Outpatient settings), and non-profit child/family caring agency settings. When I’m not in the office, you can find me crafting, collecting, identifying plants, and relaxing in green spaces with my dog. A phone consultation is a helpful way for me to better understand what you are looking for and help you decide if I might be the right fit for you. All of you deserves affirmative care, and I would be honored to witness you and join you on your journey.