begin your healing journey

Therapy

First, I want to acknowledge the courage it takes to begin a therapeutic process - a healing process that can also include some emotional pain, as unpacking invisible wounds is the first step to healing, growth, and starting to thrive, not just survive, in life.

Many people seek psychotherapy to begin a healing, growth, or capacity-building process that leads to behavior change. Some people want to learn skills that reduce ruminative thought or emotion patterns, improve interpersonal skills and relationships, or remove obstacles and mental blocks to behavior change.

In my work with clients, I use an integrated approach that draws from multiple research-informed and practice-based therapeutic treatment approaches grounded in psychological theory and literature.

I offer in-person and tele-therapy session appointments for individuals, couples, and families. My office for in-person session is in Danville, CA. Tele-therapy appointments are also available for California residents. Sessions are held during the weekday mornings, afternoons, or evenings, depending on availability.

The initial session can last up to 60-minutes. Subsequent sessions typically last 50-minutes.

GETTING STARTED

Before starting therapy, it can be helpful to briefly discuss your therapy needs and have space to ask questions. I offer a 15-minute free phone consultation to discuss your therapeutic needs and answer questions.

Please contact me to start your therapeutic process, at (707) 908-0617 or drnorvalhickman@outlook.com.

“In a society that profits from your self-doubt, liking yourself is a rebellious act.”

~Caroline Caldwell

1:1 COACHING

I offer 1:1 coaching sessions that can focus on present and future issues affecting a person’s daily work, career path, or educational aspirations. Coaching focuses on clarifying goals, overcoming mental blocks and avoidance behaviors, challenging assumptions, and taking intentional steps towards building a meaningful career in life that aligns with a person’s values.

Coaching is not therapy. A Coaching session is a 1:1 meeting (video or in-person) between a coach and a client and it focuses on the client’s present goals that are grounded in concrete, workable issues, and building tools for career success. My approach to Coaching focuses on present issues (very limited focus on the past), learning or leveraging skills for near-future impact, and a workable action plan that can lead to measurable outcomes and movement towards career aspirations. I Coach through a highly collaborative process that is mostly client-directed; I co-create a plan with a client and help a client take action steps towards their goals. In a coaching experience with me, the client is expected to drive the process and will generate the majority of materials discussed in sessions, for which I provide feedback and guidance.

Please contact me to learn more about my approach to Coaching, at (707) 908-0617 or drnorvalhickman@outlook.com.

Consulting services

I provide consultation services for Principal Investigators committed to improving health equity in their health-related research; organizations committed to improving assessment and measurement of social, structural, and commercial determinants of health; and companies or organizations aiming to improve mental health services for a diverse workforce through culturally sensitive programs.

For Principal Investigator’s, I can provide guidance for a grant proposal focused on culturally sensitive prevention or treatment interventions for minoritized racial and ethnic people, LGBTQIA+ people, or people with mental health issues. I have over 11 years of experience personally managing a social science and public health research grant portfolio for the University of California Office of the President that exceeded $94 million of active grant funding at its peak.

For companies and organizations, I can consult on how to improve equity forward initiatives and programs, teach skills through manager and staff trainings that can translate to improved communication, emotion regulation, and interpersonal skills in the workplace, and to help an organization transition from a “culture fit” approach to a more “culture add” approach that reinforces core values, mission, and daily practices in the workplace.

I have extensive experience developing and testing psychological survey assessments focused on individual, social, commercial, and structural factors related to health and behavior. I can assist an organization or research team in developing reliable and valid metrics and measurement tools that encompass health equity principles and critical race theory grounded in the social science literature.

Please complete the fields below to submit an initial consulting request and inquiry for consulting services. You can also submit consulting requests to drnorvalhickman@outlook.com or call, (707) 908-0617.