Nicole Randel , LISW

Nicole Randel is a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) practicing in Iowa with six years of clinical experience. She emphasizes a welcoming, nonjudgmental approach and creates a calm, authentic environment where people can explore their circumstances, relationships, and internal experiences at their own pace. Nicole explains her LISW credential as a license that denotes independent social work practice and clinical competency.

Her work blends solution-focused strategies with trauma-informed and client-centered care, tailored to each person’s needs. She sees clients as young as four and has extensive experience supporting individuals who work in emergency services, including nurses, EMTs, paramedics, and other medical providers. Nicole has training in acute traumatic incident processing - A-TIP - and brings that background to situations involving workplace-related trauma and vicarious stress.

Nicole’s clinical interests include stress, anxiety, depression, eating and body-image concerns, LGBTQ issues, intimacy-related difficulties, and chronic health challenges. She also addresses attachment and abandonment concerns, communication and commitment issues, caregiver stress, and family of origin themes. Nicole aims to collaborate with clients to identify practical steps forward while offering a down-to-earth presence that may include a touch of dark humor when appropriate.

Therapeutic Approaches That Translate Well Online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify their values and take committed action even when difficult thoughts or feelings are present. It is often useful for anxiety, stress, and chronic health challenges because it focuses on living a meaningful life rather than eliminating every uncomfortable emotion.

Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes an empathetic, nonjudgmental relationship in which the therapist follows the client’s lead and supports self-exploration. This approach can be particularly helpful for building insight around identity, intimacy, and relationship concerns.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) offers practical strategies to identify and shift unhelpful thinking patterns and behavioral habits. CBT is commonly applied to depression, anxiety, and eating-related issues to create measurable changes in mood and functioning.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is part of the process. Nicole collaborates with clients to determine which combination of methods best fits their needs, goals, and personal preferences, adjusting as progress is made. Licensed professionals work together with each client to tailor the plan.

Online therapy with video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging provides flexible options that fit different schedules and comfort levels. These modalities make it easier to maintain continuity of care, attend sessions from home or another convenient location, and choose the format that supports ongoing engagement and progress.