Therapy with Compassion

Anywhere in New Mexico

News:

Now offering free video consultations, as well as EMDR! Click to schedule ~

Sessions available Tuesday afternoons and evenings to residents of New Mexico (telehealth only) ~

News: Now offering free video consultations, as well as EMDR! Click to schedule ~ Sessions available Tuesday afternoons and evenings to residents of New Mexico (telehealth only) ~

Welcome!

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  • Image of a small green plant growing in the crevices of cobblestone.

    Trauma Processing

    People who have faced physical, sexual, religious, emotional, or other trauma often struggle with unwanted/intrusive thoughts, suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety, and difficulties with eating and sleeping. I provide integrative psychodynamic talk therapy as well as EMDR services to help reduce the intensity of the memory and promote adaptive, healthy thoughts and behaviors. With every session couched in compassion, the trauma processing journey can feel safe and hope-inspiring.

  • A black-and-white image of a bird on one of the bars of a jail cell.

    Symptom Management

    Mental health disorder symptoms can impair daily life function, such as being able to take care of one’s own basic needs. With the help of various tools and interventions from sources such as DBT and mindful self-compassion, symptoms severity can improve, allowing freedom to do more than just survive each day.

  • Person with dark skin looking into a shard of mirror facing themselves but looking away.

    Increasing Self-Compassion

    More than just self-care, self-compassion is a willingness to sit with yourself in the hard times. With consistent exposure to the compassion within this program, and daring to apply self-compassion techniques outside of session, one can notice a difference in how they treat themselves as well as others in their lives.

What’s Special About CCS

  • Everything from the first contact to the last therapy session is done completely online through a secure web platform called SimplePractice. This means you can do therapy from the comfort of your own home using your own computer or phone!

  • With my compassion-based therapy, you can expect to feel genuinely cared for in each session. As your therapist, I am skilled in active listening and unconditional positive regard. I really do want to help you heal!

  • As part of my personal project, The Amaverimus Project, I share free mental health tools and tips on this website as well as on videos and clips. No info required - just listen, save, and share. My goal is to do what I can to promote mental health awareness and compassion in our society.

AND UNCONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD

You are treated with respect, care, and kindness regardless of:

Race or Ethnicity ~

Sexual Orientation, Sex, or Gender ~

Disability or Illness ~

Addiction ~

Criminal History ~

Religion or Spiritual Beliefs ~

Culture ~

Type or Details of Trauma ~

Education ~

Financial Status or History ~

Location ~

If you're a cat person or dog person ~

Literally anything else ~

Race or Ethnicity ~ Sexual Orientation, Sex, or Gender ~ Disability or Illness ~ Addiction ~ Criminal History ~ Religion or Spiritual Beliefs ~ Culture ~ Type or Details of Trauma ~ Education ~ Financial Status or History ~ Location ~ If you're a cat person or dog person ~ Literally anything else ~

Your Counselor: Nicky McDowell-Horn, LMHC, LPC-A, Resident in Counseling

  • Graduated in 2023 with a Master of Arts in Counseling from Eastern New Mexico University

  • Licensed to practice counseling under supervision in 3 states: New Mexico, Texas, and Virginia (Compassionist Counseling Services currently only serves New Mexico residents, under the supervision of Karen Seif, LMFT)

  • Specializes in integrative talk therapy approaches including strengths-based, psychodynamic, IFS, DBT, and more

  • Will be fully EMDR “Basic Trained” in February 2026, and IS currently able to offer EMDR Therapy

  • Trained in Motivational Self-Compassion, IFS (Inner Child), DBT, Motivational Interviewing, Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy, and more

  • Built CCS on the theory that compassion is the greatest motivator and facilitator of trauma processing and relief.

  • Personal goal: To use my education, training, and my own experiences overcoming difficult life events and mental health struggles to cultivate connection, mental health wellness, and individual resilience in the community.

  • Fun fact: I am a massive video game geek and Twitch affiliate streamer, and my channel focuses on blending the fun of video games with mental health awareness and tips.

If you’re ready to try something new and see if compassionate therapy works for you,

Please reach out today.