How Can I Help?

You're worried about your relationship. Maybe your partner is pulling away, is never home, and you don't know why. Maybe you're fighting so often that you wonder if it's possible to make things better. Perhaps you're scared that things are so bad that your marriage might be over. Don't give up hope. Any relationship can get better and the important changes that need to happen can start today! As an expert counselor who teaches couples how to reconnect and repair their relationships, I know I can help you.

We know a couple of key things about couples who are struggling: (1) they are trapped in a negative cycle, where they seem stuck in the same hurtful spiral, and (2) the key to breaking the cycle is emotion! To read more about how to break he cycle, visit drkathynickerson.com.

As an expert counselor who teaches couples how to reconnect and repair their relationships, I know I can help you. I am eternally optimistic about relationships and believe that any marriage can be made better. Call me today and let's start making the changes you're longing for

Specializing in couples counseling, marriage counseling, pre-marital counseling, and family counseling in Irvine, Orange County.

My Background

I am a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in helping couples strengthen and repair their relationships. I love what I do because I love love - I am eternally optimistic about relationships and believe that any marriage can be made better.

In addition to caring for people in a private practice setting, I have worked extensively within the nonprofit and educational communities. I currently serve as the Chief Operating Officer for the Feel Better Network, where I interact in member forums and develop training programs for therapists and psychologists. Additionally, I teach graduate level psychology courses for University of Phoenix. In the past, I served as the Executive Director and Content Director for The Family Violence Project, a nonprofit organization that trains professionals to recognize and report child abuse. My psychological internship and post-doctoral work was with the Orange County Health Care Agency, where I worked extensively with troubled teens and their families. For several years before, I worked as an educator at Saddleback High School in Santa Ana, where I taught general science, chemistry, and physics.

I love to share my knowledge with others and in recent years, I have had the privilege of speaking at more than 150 local and national conferences and training programs. I have also been a featured guest on numerous local radio and television programs. In addition to speaking, I enjoy writing and have written over 75 professional publications. My first book, Speaking Up: How to Get Help for Children Living in Abusive Homes, is used as a textbook for teachers and provides a comprehensive overview of child abuse reporting. I collaborated with colleagues to write Save the Date, a curriculum for the United States Department of Justice for teens on developing healthy dating relationships. A colleague, Jesse Rutherfod, and I just completed The Everything Guide to Defiant Kids - look for it at a bookstore near you at the end of 2009. I am currently at on a new book Let's Stay Together: The Essential Guide for Strengthening & Repairing Your Relationships.

Our community has a lot of people in need of help and I am honored to volunteer on several nonprofit boards. I am a member of the board of directors for Alegria Center for Creative Arts, Laura's House, and the Saddleback Valley Educational Foundation. I volunteer my time to work with OC Health Care Agency, Laura's House, Habitat for Humanity, and the Red Cross. I have served as a member of the University of California at Irvine's Institutional Review Board, where I reviewed psychological research proposals.

As a licensed clinical psychologist (PSY 20446), I offer local counseling (within California) and coaching (outside of California, by phone and internet). I received both my doctorate (PhD) and masters (MS) degree in psychology from Capella University in Minneapolis. My dissertation was on anger in teens, where I evaluated a program designed to reduce students' aggressive behavior. My undergraduate education (BS) was in chemistry and physics at UC Irvine.

You can also review my graduate school transcipts by clicking here: Dr. Kathy Nickeron's Transcripts; you can verify my licensure with the California Board of Psychology by clicking here: Verify Dr. Kathy Nickerson's License.

When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with my husband and my bulldogs, Sophie & Daphne. I love to walk on our beautiful beaches, paint watercolor landscapes, read, write, and watch old movies.





Media Bio - Kathy Nickerson, PhD

Dr. Kathy Nickerson, a relationship expert who helps couples reconnect and repair their marriages, has been quoted in Woman’s World, Forbes Woman, Woman’s Day, Glamour UK, and the LA Times....and that’s just last week.

Dr. Nickerson is a founding member of FeelBetterNetwork.com and—along with her passion for helping people—brings more than 20 years professional mental health counseling experience. As a licensed clinical psychologist, she has an extensive background in various areas including anxiety, addiction, domestic violence, and depression, but today she focuses mainly on relationship counseling through her California-based private practice and globally on FeelBetterNetwork.com. She also maintains a year-round schedule speaking at more than 150 conferences and broadcast media outlets, and has authored or co-authored more than 75 professional articles and books including:

  • The Everything Book – Defiant Kids
  • Speaking Up: How to Help Children Who Live In Abusive Homes
  • Save The Date: A Curriculum for Safe & Healthy Teen Dating
  • Be Your Own Shrink: 10 Steps to Keep You Happy and Healthy
  • Let's Stay Together: The Essential Guide for Strengthening & Repairing Your Relationships

As an accomplished writer with a passion for teaching couples how to strengthen and repair their relationships, Kathy frequently contributes to national and internal publications. Dr. Kathy's work, comments, and insights have been featured in the following magazines and websites:

  • AllExperts.com
  • Bariatrics Today
  • Bio-Medicine.org
  • BlogTalk Radio
  • Cosmopolitan UK
  • Daily Breeze
  • Dawn Magazine
  • Divine Caroline
  • FacilityCity.com
  • Feel Better Network
  • Glamour UK
  • Laguna Beach Independent
  • LivePerson.com
  • Los Angeles Times
  • LX Magazine
  • NewsRx.com
  • OC Family
  • OC Post
  • OC Weekly
  • OC Woman
  • OH Magazine
  • Orange County Register
  • Parenting
  • PRNewsWire
  • Psychology Today
  • Reuters
  • W Magazine
  • Western Massachusetts Business Woman

Kathy's dynamic and vibrant style makes her a favorite with local television programs, such as TBN and Cox News, and national call-in radio shows, including KFI, KOCE, WNYC, and WBGO.

Dr. Kathy Nickerson is a strong believer in the value of education and prevention. During the last five years, she developed innovative curricula, classes, newsletters, and training seminars for the United States Department of Justice - Office of Victims of Crime. Kathy has also created training materials for a variety of violence reduction programs and has taught courses on anger management in secondary schools. In addition to working in private practice, Dr. Nickerson teaches courses for mental health professionals at the California Institute for Professional Continuing Education.

As a life-long resident of Orange County, Kathy is honored to serve on several non-profit, public benefit organizations that give back to the community. She currently serves on the managing boards of the Alegria Center for Creative Arts, Laura's House, and the Saddleback Valley Education Foundation.

Kathy would love to hear from you and she may be reached at 949.222.6688 or via email to drkathynickerson@yahoo.com.

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