ABOUT MY

COUNSELING PROCEDURES

Welcome! My name is Dr. Nioka Smith, LCPC, MFT. I hold a Doctoral Degree in Christian Counseling, a Master's Degree in Education, and a Bachelor's Degree in Speech Communication and Psychology.

I am a Licensed Educator, Licensed Clinical Christian Counselor, Marriage and Family Therapist, and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Counselor with Advanced Certification. My certifications include Sexual Abuse, Child Abuse, Marriage and Family Therapy, Adolescent Therapy, Stress/Anxiety/Depression, and General Life coaching.

I am a Professional Clinical Member of the National Christian Counselors Association as well as a member of the American Association for Christian Counselors. 

First and foremost, I am a Christian Counselor. Within my Counseling sessions, it is not just myself who’s counseling, but I rely heavily on the Holy Spirit who knows my clients’ needs more than anyone.

Like most counselors, I recognize that that personal problems can come about because of physiology, social-environmental influences, and psychological pressure. I also believe that most problems are spiritual in nature, and stem from things Satan has hidden from you. 

My Counseling targets the root issue and not just the surface. As a Christian counselor, I am not limited to psychological techniques or to my own human effort and wisdom.

I believe that God is the real authority in counseling and He gives us the resources to change. I believe that counseling without the JESUS FACTOR is about as effective as applying a band-aid over a bacteria-infested wound. I believe that counseling should involve praying about the client’s difficulties while listening to the Holy Spirit for guidance. In this way, I seek to encourage clients to build a dependency on God. The client can find forgiveness for the past, strength, comfort for the present, and hope for the future by trusting the Lord to daily meet needs and heal emotional wounds. I try to reflect the character of Jesus Christ and to love my clients as He does. While I do not try to force religion on my clients, I do urge them to develop a RELATIONSHIP with the only true Healer of body, soul, and spirit. JESUS