Rochelle Nakoa, LCSW

Rochelle Nakoa is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 13 years of clinical experience. She has worked with hospice patients and their families to support end-of-life care, served as a readjustment counselor assisting veterans and their loved ones during the transition to civilian life, and provided therapeutic support to active military personnel addressing substance use and relationship concerns with family and command. As Chief of Mental Health in the Department of Corrections she facilitated both individual and group therapy for incarcerated men, women, and transgender individuals, and those diverse roles led her to develop specialized expertise in sexual trauma and intimate partner violence.

Her approach centers on Client-Centered Therapy, which focuses on each person’s own goals, strengths, and values. She helps people organize their thoughts - often using writing as a tool - to gain clarity about current circumstances and identify practical steps toward change. By creating a judgment-free therapeutic space, she aims to reduce shame and burden so individuals can move toward the life and sense of self they want to build.