Empowering Minds at Hope Centered Wellness Group
Our Story
Co-Owners of Hope Centered Wellness Group, Tony and Shanda Nichols, have been working with people in the helping profession in various roles since 2003. Tony has experience with individuals, group, couples, and families from working in the department of corrections, schools, treatment centers, churches, foster care, and in private practice. Shanda has over 10 years of experience specifically in mental health working in treatment centers, schools, geriatric home aide, and private practice.
In 2016 Shanda began her massage career and has been developing her skills with body work in helping people recover from sports injury, aches and pains, muscle tension, relieve symptoms of anxiety/stress, and relieve symptoms of trauma. Shortly after, Tony attained his clinical license to practice independently and they started renting an office space where they began to integrate their modalities with clients in their private practice. Shanda began her practice as Shanda Nichols Massage and Tony began the counseling side of things as Hope Centered Counseling and Consulting LLC.
In their practice they have learned that trauma doesn’t just impact the mind and emotions, but also significantly impacts the body as well. When a person experiences trauma, the body remembers the safety response (flight, fight, freeze, or fawn) and Massage can help the body recalibrate by slowing down the nervous system, decrease the heart rate, relax muscles from stress, and improves self-care. And in counseling, the client can learn skills, process past trauma, and learn to regulate their emotions. The holistic approach of treating the body, mind, and emotions through counseling and massage caught momentum and decided to rebrand the practice as Hope Centered Wellness Group.
In the last couple of years the practice has experienced growth so in 2021 they added a Licensed Social Worker and Licensed Professional Counselors to their private practice to reach out in helping more people in the Champaign community and in the broader state of Illinois work through struggles with mental health and overcome past trauma so they can enjoy their life again.
Tony and Shanda explored an opportunity to expand their practice to the Houston, TX area. In September of 2023 they signed a lease for an office expansion to Friendswood, TX where veteran counselor, Andrisell (Andi) Martinez, will be the point person. Andi has over 5 years of experience as a counselor including residential, outpatient substance use, a detox clinic, and outpatient private practice counseling at Hope Centered Wellness Group. Friendswood is located right outside of Houston on the side and 45 minutes from Galveston Island.
We will soon be hiring a few counselors to work alongside Andi at our new office space. Tony will also be seeing clients (virtually and trauma intensives) from the southern state as well with his new Texas LPC-S license.
Whether you’re from Texas or back in the Midwest in Illinois we look forward to supporting you in your mental health journey.
Owner and Clinical Director
TONY NICHOLS, LCPC
I provide a kind and supportive space to help people explore a next step when life seems too complicated and stressful. I’m very optimistic and open minded even when communicating difficult truths. I can help develop skills and personal awareness to build healthier relationships or implement necessary boundaries from others.
I’ve been working with youth, adults, and families for the past twenty years in a wide variety of contexts. I can help reduce symptoms of PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar, Autism Spectrum, and other stressors or mental health concerns by providing a therapeutic relationship, psycho-education, and effective coping strategies. I’m credentialed as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and I completed a M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
I utilize an eclectic variety of techniques including Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Motivational Interviewing techniques, Brief Solution Focused techniques, Mindfulness, and Therapeutic Crisis Intervention. I specialize in working with clients with a significant and complex trauma background while using EMDR (EMDR-Brochure.pdf), parts work, and somatic interventions for treatment. Tony also provides couples therapy by utilizing PACT (Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy).
Certifications/Trainings:
- EMDR and Ego State Ports Work for Dissociation
- Certified Clinical Trauma Professional
- Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics
- EMDR and Personality Disorders
- Certification in EMDR from EMDRIA
- EMDR, CBT, and Somatic-Based Interventions training to move clients from surviving to thriving
- Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy
- Trauma-Informed Cognitive Behavior Therapy training
- Certification in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention
- Collaborative Problem Solving model with Youth and Parents
- Expert Strategies for Treating Narcissism from NICABM
our team
A team committed to improving your mental,
emotional, and physical health.
Tony Nichols ,LCPC
Lunch hour and afternoon
availability EMDR, Parts Work, PTSD,
couples, family, anxiety,
personality disorders. BCBS,
Health Alliance, Student Insurance,
United Healthcare, Humana, Cigna
Shanda Nichols , LMT
Adults, College age, Youth,
Substance Abuse, Depression,
Anxiety, Trauma
Andi Martinez, LCPC
Day and evening availability
Telehealth sessions, Life transitions,
christian counseling, EMDR,
Anxiety,Depression. BCBS,Health Alliance,
Student Insurance, Human
Amy Skillings, LSW
Evening and weekend availability
Depression, Anxiety, Food disorder,
Grief, Couples, Teens and
Adults
Wendy Graham, LPC
Day hours Complex Trauma,
Grad Students. BCBS, Health Alliance, Student Insurance,
United Healthcare,
Humana, Cigna
Bonnie Vreeman, LCPC
Experienced LCPC helping adults heal from trauma with compassionate, trauma-informed care.
Salma Elkaraksi, LPA
Psychologist, Salma is Supervised by a
licensed psychological Associate.
She spent 2 years providing individual
and group therapy for adolescents
in a school-based practice.
Jason Givens, M.Ed
Helps clients process through Sports Anxiety,
supports those with ADHD, and Nutrition counseling. Available online and in-person.
Accepts Health Insurance.
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