10/01/2026
Please meet Awakening Serenity Counseling's Nicole Hepler, LPC for Beyond the Couch's October Spotlight!
I’m Nicole Hepler, MS, LPC and owner of Awakening Serenity Counseling in the Central Park neighborhood of Denver. I specialize in working with people living with chronic illness or chronic pain, especially those who have spent years trying to keep functioning while their body is asking them to slow down.
My passion for this work comes from my own lived experience with chronic illness and autoimmune disease. Chronic illness can affect so much more than physical health. It can change how you see yourself, your relationships, your career, and what you thought your life was going to look like. It can also bring a complicated mix of grief, frustration, anxiety, guilt, and a loss of trust in your own body.
My approach is trauma-informed, integrative, and collaborative. I draw from EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), attachment theory, and polyvagal theory to help clients understand how past experiences and learned patterns impact what they're living with now. I also pay close attention to the nervous system, because safety and pacing matter when you're already carrying a significant physical and emotional load.
I don't believe therapy should be about simply teaching you to push through. Instead, I want to help you understand what your mind and body are communicating, reconnect with yourself, and find ways of moving forward that respect your experiences and your autonomy.
I see clients in person at my office at the Stanley Marketplace and virtually throughout both Colorado and Oregon.
https://asc-denver.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awakeningserenitycounseling
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awakeningserenitycounseling
