My name is Nikki Dear. I am a Licensed Certified Social Worker in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. I am the owner of Accepted Therapy Services. I currently live in Fort Worth, Texas where I manage the Fort Worth office of Accepted Therapy Services.
In 2013, I experienced a significant change and loss in my life. During this process, I found myself in a dark, hopeless place trying to find a way forward. It was in this that I found myself telling people I was “fine.” I realized that the world we live in tells us that we should always be "fine," even when nothing is remotely fine. There is a lot of pressure to be perfect and not let other people see us struggle.
According to Brené Brown, the definition of shame is to “do it all, do it perfectly, and don’t let them see you struggle.” So when we don’t allow ourselves to struggle out loud, we are severely impacted, as I learned the hard way.
My hope is to walk with you through any difficult time you may be experiencing so that you can give yourself permission to struggle out loud. This process will look differently for everyone as our issues are unique to our experiences. My specialties include trauma, shame, and grief as these are all areas that I have experienced and still, on occasion, battle.
I am also a Grief Recovery Specialist. I came to the Grief Recovery Method through my own process of working through the death of my first husband while dealing with divorcing my second husband. As I intentionally worked through the Method, I was able to realize how much my grief had been holding me back from living my life.
I currently provide Grief Recovery Model to the Fort Worth, TX area and I offer the Grief Support Group, Grief One-on-One, Pet Loss Group, and Helping Children with Loss programs. I will be starting online groups in the foreseeable future.
Nikki is not currently accepting new clients.
Degress and Certifications:
2022: Certificaiton in The Grief Recovery Model
2020: Certification in Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
2013: Master’s Degree in Social Work from The University of Southern Mississippi
2011: Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from The University of Southern Mississippi
Licenses: Licensed Certified Social Worker
Alabama License # 5114C
Louisiana License # 16461
Mississippi License # C8220
Texas License # 105598
Job History:
Pine Belt Mental Healthcare Resources (Hattiesburg, MS)
I worked for Pine Belt Mental Healthcare Resources as the Co-Occurring Disorder Specialist. In this role I provided best practice trainings to staff in Region XII. I also worked closely with Clearview Recovery to assist with providing trauma informed care.
Pine Grove Women’s Center (Hattiesburg, MS)
I worked at Pine Grove Women’s Center, a residential addiction treatment for women with complex issues such as chemical addiction, trauma, and compulsive behaviors, as a Clinical Therapist.
Forrest County Child Protection Services (Hattiesburg, MS)
I started my social work career working for Child Protection Services in 2012. I worked for CPS as an intern, Family Protection Specialist, and Area Social Work Supervisor.
I am currently writing a book about my therapy journey. I may publish it when I finish or it might just it be my own therapeutic process.
In my free time, you can find me eating because I love food! Because I love to eat, I am required to exercise. I enjoy indoor (it’s hot) cycling at CycleBar and attending training sessions at Tiger Rock Martial Arts where I am a pretty feisty opponent.
I live in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Although, I never personally attended Hogwarts, I am a Gryffindor and can recount the story of Harry Potter and his defeat of Voldemort with anyone who will listen.
In addition to the defeat of truly nasty wizards (i.e. Voldemort), I also am fascinated by real life serial killers. I am a true crime junky and can often be found listening to, reading, or watching anything true crime or serial killer related.
My Top 10 Values as a Therapist:
1. Emotional Safety
2. Genuineness
3. Empathy
4. Intimacy
5. Communication
6. Acceptance
7. Compassion
8. Reliability
9. Thoughtfulness
10. Supportive
Fun Facts!
1. My Myers Briggs Personality type is INJF which is the rarest personality type and is found in only 2% of women and 1% of men.
2. I enjoy watching (and yelling at) the New York Yankees.
3. I am a dog mom to two pups - Leo (12 year old) and Nox (1 year old).
4. The beach calls to me and is healing for my soul, but I also really love the mountains.
5. I love a good DIY project, particularly using power tools to refinish furniture.
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
