Balance and Renewal Center

01/01/2026

The importance of individual work before couple’s work.

01/01/2026

In a traumatic world, it is better to assume danger than to trust safety, so the brain and body don't recognize that the threat is over.

It l takes practice to focus on the proof that you survived – no matter what happened.

01/01/2026

We all carry parts of ourselves that learned to survive hard things — 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘹𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴, 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘮𝘦𝘥, 𝘴𝘩𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘴. Therapy can be a place where those parts are met with 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 instead of judgment.

I’m a licensed clinical social worker who helps people gently work with their inner world, rather than trying to “fix” or fight themselves. My approach is compassionate, collaborative, and paced to feel safe for you. 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐰𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐬.

I have advanced training in trauma-focused therapies and regularly support clients and other therapists in this work. I am also IFS level 1 trained and EMDR Certified.

Whether you’re processing past experiences or simply wanting to 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧, I’d be honored to walk with you.

https://balanceandrenewal.com/
https://adam-nickell.clientsecure.me/

I am in network in Idajo with Blue Cross, Regence, Mountain Health Co-Op,
and SelectHealth. I can also see clients with Aetna, Cigna, and Quest Behavioral Health through the Headway website. I’m also licensed in Utah as an LCSW.

12/31/2025

Frustration tolerance is connected to how much you can learn at one time

12/22/2025

Belief was never meant to strip you of empathy or turn you against other human beings. Its true purpose is to soften the heart, expand understanding, and help you recognize the shared pain and dignity in all lives.

Any path that hardens the heart,
justifies cruelty,
or breeds a sense of superiority
has lost its way.

There is nothing sacred about hatred.
Nothing holy about humiliation.
Nothing divine about harming others in the name of being “right.”

🍃 True wisdom does not separate — it connects.
🍃 True faith does not dominate — it humbles.
🍃 True spirituality does not shout — it listens.

Buddhist wisdom teaches that compassion is the highest form of intelligence. When we truly understand suffering — our own and others’ — cruelty becomes impossible. Kindness becomes natural.

Humanity comes before every label.
Before every doctrine.
Before every ideology.

If a belief costs you empathy,
if it makes you cold where you once were kind,
if it asks you to silence your conscience —

👉 it is not worth keeping.

🌱 Keep what makes you more human.
🌱 Walk away from what teaches you to forget that others are too.

Compassion is not weakness.
It is the deepest strength we have.

12/10/2025

Free HELPING CHILDREN CALM: CONNECTION BEFORE CORRECTION POSTER
So many adults try to guide a child when the child is already overwhelmed. We speak, we explain, we set limits, but nothing seems to work. The truth is simple. A child cannot listen when their body feels unsafe.

This free poster shows how connection helps turn the brain back on so the child can think, breathe and understand what we are saying. It gives easy steps any adult can use, such as slowing your movements, softening your voice, naming the feeling and waiting for the body to settle. Small changes can make a huge difference.

If you support children, kids or teens with big emotions or challenging behaviour, this guide is a helpful reminder that calm always comes first.

Comment CALM and we will message you a link to the free PDF of the poster.

12/09/2025

Love Gabor Mate!

Is what we call “normal” actually healthy—or just common? In this powerful episode, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen sit down with world-renowned physician and ...

12/08/2025

All abuse has an element of taking away someone's power. ⁠
This is true in all kinds of relationships. ⁠
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In terms of childhood trauma, abusive caretakers abuse their power ⁠
in some of the following ways:⁠
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*Shaming the child for simply being a child⁠
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*Telling the child who they are through a toxic lens with a role such as ⁠
scapegoat, savior, or being parentified ⁠
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*Emotionally, physically, or sexually abusing a child by having the power of an adult⁠
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*Controlling the truth⁠
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And sometimes, the abuse of power is about not using one's power as a caretaker to protect or not neglect one's child. ⁠
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Abuse is an action, and so are boundaries. ⁠
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Boundaries are actionable steps to take back power, but what is the quality of that power we are taking back?⁠
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*Telling family we are unavailable for gossip, toxic negativity, or character assassination. (we take back the power of how we want to "connect" instead of engaging in behaviors outside our true values)⁠
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*Going no contact. (we take back the power of choosing our mental health and wellness over a system that doesn't believe in such things) ⁠
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*Advocating for reciprocity -they call us instead of a one-way street. (we take back the power of roles and expectations, meaning we step outside of being the parent for parents and siblings)⁠
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Are boundaries just demands? No. The outcomes don't matter as much as setting the boundaries. That is the place from which we discover we have power. ⁠
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Whether they respect the boundary and do, it isn't the goal. Boundaries are declarations of choice and reclaiming a sense of self, which is very powerful.