Nick is now a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist at JRM&A!
Nick Watkins, MA, LMFT (LMFT 134516)
Nick is a 10 year Air Force Veteran who joined our team in May of 2021. He describes how his life has been transformed by his experiences in the Air Force, how mentoring others influenced him to become a therapist, and how he brings in his own personality and approach to therapy.
Hear from Therapist Nick Watkins, MA, LMFT (LMFT 134516)
Nick says, “I joined the Air Force out of high school at age 18, so it was a big part of growing up for me. Before the Air Force, I hadn’t traveled much or met many people outside of New Mexico, but through the Air Force I was able to travel to many different states and countries, and meet many new people.This helped me learn about different cultures and how to work with diverse people.
During my time in the Military (2005-2015) and even now many are worried that if they get mental health assistance they are at risk for getting pulled off duty, losing their top secret clearance, getting relieved of their weapon, and or risking not getting promoted. Despite this, I decided to seek therapy, I have always found seeking help empowering and immensely important when I was struggling. I advocated for de-stigmatizing mental health in my small part of the military, and for men, while I was in the Air Force through mentoring and talking with my subordinates about things like how they were doing, how to use mental health services, and that going to mental health services wasn’t a career ender.
Since my time in the military, I have attended graduate school and become a Marriage and Family Therapist. My therapy work has mostly dealt with trauma, I’ve worked with those who are schizophrenic, combat veterans, sexual assault survivors, those who have experienced childhood neglect, institutional racism, homeslessness and more.
At JRM&A, today, I help clients going through trauma lay down a new foundation for their life with coping skills and new tools, I help them regain control of their responses and live their fullest life. I connect to my clients at JRM&A through shared experiences, providing a safe and non judgemental space, and humor when appropriate. Usually I try to come in calm and open and make sure we discuss what they want to, but I also make sure to open up and let them know who I am, why I can relate, and that I’m a safe person to talk to.
Something important to know about JRM&A is that our services are not just for veterans, active duty military, or law enforcement, we help a lot more than that, we also help the families and those who are usually forgotten, like the military spouses, law enforcement spouses, first responder spouses, the dispatch who deal with calls, and other people from the community who have experienced domestic violence, PTSD, or complex trauma.”
Read more about Nick here!
At JRM&A we lead with compassionate, trauma-informed therapeutic models that are personalized and solution-focused to help support our clients’ needs and attain their personal goals.
You can reach us at (650) 386-6753 or info@joellerabowmaletis to share your comments, ask questions or schedule an appointment.
