Nicki King, Student Clinician

“Communication is to relationship what breathing is to living..” -Virginia Satir

I am a graduate student in the Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy program at Pacific Lutheran University. I chose to become a marriage and family therapist because I truly believe in the importance and vital necessity of relationships and human connection. There is immeasurable value in healing past traumas, creating healthy boundaries for ourselves, and developing communication skills that allow our relationships to grow and flourish, which bring meaning, depth, and happiness to our lives. Being a systemic therapist means zooming out and acknowledging how we are all impacted by how we show up in the world and how we, in turn, impact those spaces. It allows me to zoom in and help clients see how they are impacted by their lived experiences and relationships, and in return, how they impact those around them. As a result of our identities, we wear many different hats and have many different roles in life. 

Some important identities that I hold are being a mixed raced, African-American, cisgender woman. I am a feminist, a daughter, a sister, a wife, and a mother to two children.