Nicole Guessford

Nicole Guessford is a licensed clinical social worker with 23 years of experience who helps people manage stress, anger, anxiety, and life transitions. She works with individuals facing trauma, parenting challenges, relationship strain, grief, and issues like sleep or eating concerns. Her approach is direct and structured, and she often assigns practical tasks to practice between meetings.

She tailors conversations and treatment plans to each person’s situation. Sessions emphasize respect, sensitivity, and self-compassion while focusing on clear steps forward. Nicole describes her practice as holistic and aims to blend practical skills with personal insight.

Nicole uses tools from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy among other approaches. She brings attachment-focused ideas into work around relationships and intimacy-related concerns. Therapy sessions can include exercises to build coping skills, manage strong emotions, and improve communication.

She is licensed in Pennsylvania and Virginia as a licensed clinical social worker - LCSW - and provides telehealth-only sessions due to insurance rules. The practice often includes weekly or bi-weekly appointments and written or activity-based homework between visits.

Getting started involves choosing the Start Therapy button on the site, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling according to therapist availability. Nicole supports people who want a structured, practical path toward feeling more in control and calmer in daily life.

How her approaches guide online therapy

Nicole blends Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy into online sessions to help people notice difficult thoughts, clarify values, and take small steps toward meaningful change. ACT helps with moving forward even when uncomfortable feelings are present, and CBT focuses on practical strategies to change unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors.

She also uses Attachment-Based Therapy ideas to look at patterns in relationships and how early connections affect current intimacy and communication. That work can help people identify repeated interaction patterns and practice new ways of relating that feel safer and more effective.

Choosing the right approach is collaborative. Nicole will discuss goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t worked before. Together the client and therapist decide which methods to try, and they adjust the plan as progress is made.

Nicole provides telehealth-only sessions because of insurance rules. Please confirm the available session options before booking so you know the exact format and frequency. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, allow for regular weekly or bi-weekly check-ins, and support practical homework between meetings without needing travel time.