Nicole Melissa Morin, LCSW

Get to know me:

Nicole Melissa Morin, LCSW (she/her/hers) is currently the clinician for Safe Homes, a community drop-in center for LGBTQIA+ youth 14-23, and The PLACE (Program for Learning, Activities, Care, and Encouragement) for Empowerment young adult access center for young adults ages 16-26. She conducts free drop-in behavioral health support and does not bill through insurance. Nicole does not accept ongoing outpatient clients at this time. 

Nicole holds a Master of Social Work and a Graduate Certificate in Trauma Studies from Simmons University. Her three areas of expertise are therapy with LGBTQIA+ community, death and dying, and psychosis. Some of the approaches she uses in her practice with clients include Affirmative Therapy, CBT for Psychosis, IMR, ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), Motivational Interviewing, and holistic approaches (nature, movement) to empower folks on their journeys. She is always seeking new modalities, research, and learning opportunities to find new ways to support those she serves. As an affirmative practice therapist, Nicole creates spaces that encourage personal exploration and discovery. She thrives on providing education and support to those who haven’t yet found the language to express themselves. 

She resides in Central Massachusetts with her partner, roommates, and cats. She also serves as an Outdoor Educator for the MetroWest YMCA, and Group Fitness Instructor at the Worcester JCC. 

What does affirmative psychotherapy mean to me?

Affirmative Therapy to me is a combination of pieces. Meeting a person where they’re at, with some basic knowledge of the factors or history (AIDS, bullying, discrimination, violence, hatred, discriminatory laws and practices, being removed from jobs, homes, loss of family) that may have led them to my office, and the gravity of it. It’s the ability to tune into where a person is in their personal identity development and cheer them on in that exploration. It also means to hold hope. It’s taken a long time for me to get a definition of hope that I liked – that wasn’t too perky, or likely to have a teenager roll their eyes at me. Hope is knowing that the situation in front of you will change, because it has to. In Affirmative Therapy, we hold hope, because not only do we meet people where they are, we meet them where they dream to be. All of the places they have yet to find or explore within themselves or their world. Affirmative Therapy to me, is the space where we can be all the parts of ourselves. 

What populations do I work with? What is my level of expertise (friendly, knowledgeable, expert) for each of those populations?

I currently partner with LGBTQIA+ youth from 14-24 years old in a community drop-in setting to build social skills, engage in their community, learn about themselves, and engage in mental health treatment. I’m also the drop-in clinician for the PLACE for Empowerment, where we support youth who are facing all sorts of unique challenges. The PLACE helps them apply for jobs, find health care providers, learn healthy living skills, bust mental health stigma, set and reach for their goals, and more. 

I also partner with LGBTQIA+ people who are approaching death or caregivers for someone who is approaching the end of their life. I engage in support around death care, dying at home, the dying process, and maximizing personal autonomy. I support families of infants, children, and teens in the dying process as well. Prior to my current role, I served as a clinician in two closed referral PACT (Program of Assertive Community Treatment) teams in Central Massachusetts partnering with people living in the community with psychotic disorders. 

What is my approach to healing?

My approach to healing is that the client has the answers inside of them already, and my role is to engage in support around that and to encourage exploration. 

However, before I can do any of that I have to meet basic needs. Many of the people I serve at the drop-in have a few basic needs to meet before they can settle their bodies and begin to pick apart what else is going on for them. Helping them figure out some of the messages their body is sending, fear, hunger, pain, sleep, anxiety and help them choose how they want to move through. A snack, a drink, a sensory item, a short walk, a shower, deodorant, adjusting their chest binder, a blanket, pain medication. Meeting this type of basic need not only transforms the therapeutic relationship, it changes the way these folks see their needs (and by extension themselves!) as important. 

And humor. A LOT of humor. 

What issues am I most skilled at addressing as a mental health professional?
I specialize in supporting LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults, people at end-of-life, and people experiencing psychosis. I am most skilled in addressing the basic underlying needs that are underscoring the intensity of what a person is bringing to the table. I help connect people to healthcare, food, warm clothing, trying to find a safe place to sleep at night, and addressing some of the systemic inequities that play into it. I love teaching people about the way their brain works, to put them in the driver’s seat as much as possible. Identifying places they are in control in their life and learning to listen to what their intuition and body are trying to tell them. I help people learn to listen to those messages. Busting stigma, building community connection, and amplifying autonomy too! 

EDUCATION & LICENSE

Formal Academic Education:
Graduate Education:
Master of Social Work, Simmons University
Graduate Certificate: Trauma Studies
Undergraduate Education:
Bacheloreate Degree: Public Health Sciences and Epidemiology – University of Massachusetts Amherst, Magna Cum Laude
Undergraduate Certificate: Civic Engagement and Public Service

Years in Practice: 5

School: Simmons University

Year Graduated: 2021

License # and State: LCSW227058 – Massachusetts

Additional Credentials: National Association of Social Workers (NASW) member, E-RYT200 (Yoga Alliance), BAI-CD (Birth Arts International – Certified Birth Doula), Stillbirthday Bereavement Doula, Full-Spectrum Death Doula (A Sacred Passing). 

OFFICE INFORMATION

Safe Homes Drop In Center, Worcester, MA 

The PLACE for Empowerment, Worcester, MA 

FINANCES

Fee Range: Free and in-person drop-in center only. 

Accepted Payment Methods: N/A

Accepted Insurance Plans: N/A