A story of resilience, fuerte, and personal fortitude

Shortly after entering my master’s level graduate counseling program in 2009, tragedy struck, and I lost my little sister to suicide. Amidst this grief, I somehow mustered the strength to finish my master’s degree as a low-income, single mother. Still, the loss of my sister catalyzed my healing journey, forcing me to confront my own unresolved trauma. After years of helping people while trying to work through my own struggles, I found an EMDR therapist. After 10 (very expensive!) sessions, I was finally able to experience relief from the grief of losing my sister. This experience was life-changing and ultimately led to me becoming an EMDR Certified Therapist, Consultant, and Trainer.

Although I no longer bear the weight of overwhelming grief, my sister is always with me, and in 2021, I established the Nikki Claudette EMDR Scholarship through Distinctive Counseling & Consulting, PLLC. Como dijo mi abuela, “No hay mal que por bien no venga.” Life certainly has presented many challenges along the way, yet through each stumbling block I have persevered.

In 2022, in the middle of my doctoral internship and a business expansion, my family and I faced yet another tragedy. We lost our home and pets to a devastating house fire. One night, everything changed, and my husband and I had to work to rebuild our lives from scratch.

Nevertheless, we endured and overcame. A year and a half later, I successfully completed my doctoral degree and began my career as a counselor educator with a new-found sense of gratitude.