We were lucky to catch up with Nikki Winchester recently and have shared our conversation below.
Nikki, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
This is a great question, and I often wonder about it myself! In some ways, I think my resilience is genetic; both of my parents are very resilient individuals. My dad especially has a strong story of resilience and perseverance. So I think some of my resilience is genetic and some of it was learned and shaped by my parents. Knowing that my dad had overcome really hard obstacles in his life likely helped me to see that I could overcome obstacles in my own life. When I go through tough times in my life, I definitely feel tough emotions and always find a way to bounce back pretty quickly. I think that is one of the reasons I’m able to connect with clients so well, because I know how it feels to be in the depths of painful emotions and I’ve also been able to find my way out of them.
I am the first person in my family to get a college degree, let alone a masters or doctoral degree, and my dad put a huge emphasis on academic success from the beginning. Whether he helped me with homework, limited my household chores, or reinforced me with an allowance for good grades, I was always striving to do my best academically. My dad’s emphasis on academic success certainly propelled me to do my best in school, and ultimately led me to start my own business. Sometimes my focus on academics and career was the result of unhealthy habits, and I am still working on balancing my life and my work.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Cincinnati center for DBT helps people with big emotions to cope affectively in ways that bring them closer to the life that they want. We specialize in an evidence-based treatment called Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). This treatment is particularly helpful for those who are chronically suicidal or self harming, or who have borderline personality disorder (BPD), depression, substance use, or mood disorders. It can also be a very helpful precursor to PTSD treatment. We work with people of all ages, as well as families, couples, and LGBTQIA+ people. My clinicians are always working on improving their skillset and providing DBT with fidelity to the evidence-based model, because research indicates that when DBT is provided adherently, it saves lives. We are the only practice in the area that is led by a DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified Clinician™ and that provides comprehensive DBT with fidelity to the model. Our services are available in person and virtually. We are able to see clients all over Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and most other states. Clients who receive comprehensive DBT from us have access to 24/7 phone coaching. This is a free service that we provide in order to help our comprehensive DBT clients generalize what they’re learning outside of the therapy session.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I definitely think my perseverance has made a huge impact in my journey. My ability to dedicate myself to things I care about and to continue after them has been very important. I’m also a very planful person and tend to do a lot of research about things. I’m usually always considering what my goals are and make decisions based on those goals. When I look back over my life so far, there are many times that I was around the right person at the right time and was open to their input. Had I not been around that person at that time, I wouldn’t have received potentially life-changing information and would be in a totally different place in a totally different career field today. Some might call that luck.
I encourage people to get clear on your goals and reference those in any decision that you’re making. Be clear on what you want and what you need to get there and choose things that align with that. Be willing to work hard to get what you want. Seek out people who know better than you and listen to what they have to say. Not everyone is going to give the best advice, and I’ve had a time in my life that I went against someone’s advice and was very successful in doing that. But a lot of where I am today comes directly from following the knowledge of people who knew better than me at the time.
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
Owning a business is hard, especially when you’ve never had a model for how to run your own business. I realized last year that I was dedicating my entire life to my business and that this was not sustainable. So I have been putting a lot of work into establishing a better work-life balance. I have increased my exercise, free time, hobbies, and time with friends. I realized that if I continue to solely work, I would not be able to have a sustainable business. It has been uncomfortable for me to step back from working on my business so much, especially since I have prioritized academics and career for my entire life, but I know that it’s needed. I’m looking forward to the day when this feels more natural.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cincinnaticenterfordbt.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cincinnaticenterfordbt/
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cincinnaticenterfordbt
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/65523665
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd1yS6kw9H6bxJlJ3UnNPQA
- Other: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cincinnaticenterfordbt?_t=8UBB2Y8HCDW&_r=1
Image Credits
Tasha Pinelo Photography
