~ We all have the innate wisdom and resources inside ourselves for healing, but it takes work and dedication to tap into them.
Cultural Disclosure
I use he>they pronouns. I live and work on the unceded ancestral lands of the Ohlone, Ramaytush and Muwekma peoples. I honor with gratitude the land itself and the Ohlone, Ramaytush and Muwekma Tribes, past and present.
I am a white, queer, able-bodied male. I recognize that my white, cisgender and straight passing (?), non-parolee, native English speaking, able-body, and thin privileges have allowed me to access higher education and opportunities centered to white English speakers.
I recognize that power inequity and systemic oppression are real forms of trauma, many of which I will never and can never understand due to my lived experiences and identities. I strive to hold myself accountable to the work of dismantling my oppressive patterns, and recognize that I will not accomplish this in my lifetime. I have benefited from the labor and trauma of BIPOC teachers, friends and strangers, and I continue to benefit from the systems that perpetuate these cycles of trauma.
(Inspired by Emma Knighton, MA, LMHC.)
Other identities I hold: gay, spiritual/pagan/Buddhist, cancer & chemo survivor, husband.
My Story
I am passionate about this work because I have gotten so much emotional freedom and access to joy from my own healing process. I believe you’ve got the wisdom, and my goal is to help you tap into it.
As a seeker and student of healing wisdom I have always had a curiosity for the nature of the universe and my relationship to it. Growing up I couldn’t wait to take off my shoes and play in the yard with my dogs and sit in trees, feeling most at home in my body in the natural world. As I matured I discovered a natural talent for listening to others stories and holding their emotions and potential for greater wholeness and well-being, much in the same way the trees held me as a child.
I do this work to help people find a path to healing and wholeness. I help you to build inner strength so you can overcome past traumas, change internal stories and heal your wounds. I support my clients with warmth, while challenging them to break outside the old patterns that no longer serve them. I work holistically, which means I look at the whole person: body, mind and spirit. I teach relaxation tools because cultivating awareness and a calm mind are essential keys to mental health. Oftentimes I use guided visualization or hypnotherapy, so we won’t just be sitting and talking all the time. Occasionally I may suggest collaborating with complimentary practitioners to bring balance to nutrition, sleep patterns or physical well-being.
As a gay and queer person it’s important for me to support others who, like myself, have suffered at the hands of hatred, injustice, fear or misunderstanding; to be a guide and an advocate for those who feel alone, different or weird on their healing journey.
I may be the right fit for you if you’re looking for a therapist who will listen to you with deep compassion, seek to understand all about you and your inner world, challenge you to try on new perspectives, and work with you to create a road map toward the best you. I help you to build inner strength so you can overcome past traumas, change internal stories and heal your wounds.
I welcome you to contact me for a free phone consultation.
Listen to interviews with Nick:
- Living Proof with Sheridan Gold & Dianna Grayer, February 2022 – LISTEN HERE
- Radical Advice with Lily Sloane, June 2019 – Rainbows Not Required with Nick Venegoni – LISTEN HERE
- Life UnCloseted podcast with Rick Clemons, May 2015 – Getting Past The Trauma of Coming Out with Nick Venegoni – LISTEN HERE
I am a California Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist #50590
To learn more about my education, credentials and professional experience, view my LinkedIn profile.