- Client centered
- CBT techniques
- Motivational interviewing
About Nicole
Dr. Nicole Donato is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in New Jersey with 11 years of clinical experience. She holds two master’s degrees and a PhD in psychology and has worked in inpatient and outpatient settings as well as in foster care services. Nicole currently teaches at the college level and offers therapy through an online format.
She helps people address common concerns such as stress, anxiety, depression, anger, addictions, and sleep problems. She also supports work on relationship strain, parenting worries, body image and eating issues, ADHD, grief, and career questions. Nicole includes LGBT-related concerns and caregiving stress among her focus areas.
Nicole uses Client-Centered Therapy to build a collaborative relationship where clients feel heard. She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify activating events and the unhelpful self-talk that follows. Motivational Interviewing techniques help people make changes when they feel stuck. She can also draw on psychodynamic ideas to look at recurring patterns rooted in earlier life experiences.
Her background includes time in a psychiatric hospital, outpatient therapy services, and social work with a foster family agency. Those roles shaped a practical approach that emphasizes clear explanations of how therapy works and what to expect in sessions. Her teaching role keeps her up to date on current research and methods.
In sessions she focuses on clear, direct conversation and goal-oriented work. She encourages clients to name the problems they want to reduce and to try small, testable changes between meetings. For anyone wanting straightforward help with anger, stress, or related concerns, Nicole offers a consistent, skills-oriented approach.
How her approaches translate to online sessions
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on forming a genuine working relationship. In practice this means the therapist listens, reflects what she hears, and helps clients clarify what matters most to them. This approach is useful for people who feel misunderstood or want to build trust while they address anger and related concerns.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the links between events, thoughts, feelings and behavior. Online sessions using CBT often include identifying activating events and testing changes to self-talk and actions between meetings. CBT can be especially helpful for managing temper, reducing rumination, and changing patterns that keep problems going.
Motivational Interviewing helps people find their own reasons to change when they feel stuck. In remote work this can be short, goal-focused conversations that build momentum for small steps toward better control of emotions or substance use patterns.
Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will work collaboratively to choose which methods fit a person’s needs, goals, and preferences. That choice can shift over time as different techniques are tried and evaluated.
Session formats are not listed in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life - it can reduce travel time, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and make scheduling around work or caregiving simpler. Licensed professionals can adapt session length and frequency to practical constraints while focusing on concrete skills and problem solving.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
11+ years
Listed in
New Jersey
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she work with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, anger, addictions, eating and body image issues, relationship strain, sleep problems, ADHD, grief, career concerns and related topics.
What is her general approach in sessions?
She emphasizes a client-centered relationship alongside techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Motivational Interviewing. Sessions combine listening with practical steps to test between meetings.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 11 years of experience working in clinical roles including inpatient psychiatric care, outpatient therapy, and social work with a foster family agency.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) licensed in New Jersey and currently practices from that state.
Does she work in languages other than English or with international clients?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are offered?
Please confirm current session options before booking, as session formats are not specified in the biography.
How does payment work and what does therapy cost?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I get started working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.