Nikki Dahl

I think it’s a really fun job. I find it enjoyable to get to know people and use creativity to solve problems together. The most gratifying part of my job is when someone I'm working with says, 'I should talk to myself the way you talk to me.' Or when it seems like someone is feeling just 1% more hopeful about how things could at some point get better.

I think ERP is super cool. Like many clinicians at NOCD, I’ve previously tried to apply talk therapy to OCD and found it was sometimes less effective than it was for other concerns. When I found out NOCD provides intensive training for new clinicians, I was sold!

I have a good deal of experience working with LGBTQ+ folks, neurodivergent folks, and folks who feel like they have a million and one questions about what’s going on! Removing coping skills that don’t serve you means we need to work on replacing them with something else. My job is to work myself out of a job by helping you learn new things. Pretty much no one gets sick of genuine kindness and having their boundaries acknowledged and respected, so let’s help you learn how to offer that to yourself.

The most common feedback I get is, 'This is totally annoying but so worth it.' If you’re worried about whether you actually have OCD, that’s a very common concern. You’re still allowed to try out ERP!

Take your time! There is no wrong way to start working on your concerns in therapy. Some people start with the thoughts that are the most intense fears or beliefs they can imagine, Others start with the thoughts that are much easier to manage, so we build some ERP experience first. It’s important for both the therapist and member to respect limits and let members have agency in picking where we start. It’s not uncommon for me to learn something totally new about a member after several months.