“People often come to therapy thinking they need to be fixed. What they usually need first is to feel less alone.”
I’m Nancy
It’s nice to meet you!
Nancy West
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
As Featured In:
About Me
Hi, I’m Nancy.
I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 18 years of experience working with women through some of the most painful and disorienting moments of their lives. I specialize in working with women who are grieving a loss — whether that is a person, a relationship, or a version of themselves — and who have spent so long taking care of everyone else that they've lost track of who they are.
Many of the women who reach out to me are dependable, capable, and the person others rely on. They show up to work, take care of their families, and keep things moving. But privately they feel overwhelmed, numb, easily irritated, or disconnected from the person they used to be. They often wonder why everyone else seems to have moved forward while they are still carrying it.
What they are carrying is real. And it deserves real support.
I work with women navigating:
the death of someone they loved
a relationship that ended and left them questioning everything
estrangement from family
betrayal by someone they trusted
a divorce or breakup they are still not over
growing up without feeling truly loved or chosen
losing a sense of who they are along the way
Many of these losses are not visible to others, but they reshape identity, relationships, and a person's sense of safety in the world.
In therapy, you do not have to perform strength or explain why this still matters to you. My role is to help you make sense of your experience, understand your reactions, and create space for both your pain and your life to exist at the same time.
You do not have to have the right words before you come.
You just have to start.
My Approach
Many of the reactions you are experiencing are not signs that something is wrong with you. They are adaptive responses to what you have been through.
You do not have to come in with a clear story or the right words. We start exactly where you are.
Some sessions you may talk about what happened directly. Other sessions you may talk about how it is showing up in your relationships, your thoughts at night, or why everyday situations suddenly feel harder than they used to. We move at a pace that feels manageable to you.
What you are carrying — the anxiety, the numbness, the overthinking, the irritability, the emotional swings — these are not signs you are failing. They are signals your nervous system has been working overtime to protect you. When you understand where those responses come from, they begin to lose their grip.
In our work together, my role is to help you understand your patterns rather than fight them. As you begin to feel safer being honest about what you have been holding, most clients notice relief. Not because the pain disappears, but because it no longer has to live entirely inside you.
Over time we work on:
making sense of what happened and how it shaped you
understanding why certain moments feel so intense
rebuilding a sense of identity and self-trust
reconnecting with people and life again without guilt
recognizing patterns in relationships and learning to respond differently
Therapy here is steady and collaborative. You are not pushed to move on or think positively or find a lesson in what happened. We focus on helping you understand yourself deeply enough that things actually change.
Professional Training
My work is informed by evidence-based practices including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Polyvagal Theory, attachment-informed therapy, and nervous system regulation approaches. I integrate these with depth-oriented work to help clients not only cope, but understand and transform the patterns that have been keeping them stuck.
On a personal note…
Outside of my work, I live a fairly ordinary and quiet life. I spend a lot of time with my family, take walks and hikes when I can, read, and start most mornings with coffee. My dogs are usually close by, and they are often the best reminder I have to slow down and be present.
I share this because therapy can feel intimidating. You are meeting with a professional, but you are also meeting with a person. I care deeply about creating a space that feels warm, steady, and human, not clinical or distant.
I believe people heal best when they feel safe enough to be honest. You don’t have to have the right words, and you don’t have to show me a polished version of yourself. You can come exactly as you are, even if that means unsure, overwhelmed, or quiet at first.