Exploring Life & Business with Nicole Braswell of Just Therapy LBC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Braswell.

Hi Nicole, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I honestly found my way into becoming a therapist through pure curiosity. I graduated from Cal State Long Beach in 2009 with a BA in Sociology, then took a couple years off. During that time, I worked at a nursing home and absolutely loved it, sitting with residents and asking about their childhoods, relationships, and their amazing life stories. It was fascinating and made me realize I wanted to understand people’s inner worlds on a deeper level.

After that, I moved to Miami for grad school, and when I finished in 2013, I came back home ready to start my career. I have now been a therapist for about 12, going on 13 years, and I have worked with a wide range of populations. I started out working with children and families who were at risk of homelessness or psychiatric hospitalization throughout Orange County. From there, I moved into school-based therapy at a nonprofit in Whittier/Montebello, where I worked one-on-one with kids and their parents at the middle school, high school, and elementary school levels. Those years taught me so much about emotional development, family dynamics, and how early experiences really stay with us.

After working with children for many years, I transitioned into a group practice working with adults, and that is where everything really clicked for me. I was introduced to EMDR and IFS therapy, which I am genuinely obsessed with! It completely shifted how I understand healing. It helped me see people through the lens of attachment, relationships, and trauma, especially the subtle attachment wounds that come from childhood and show up later in adult relationships.

Over time, I noticed that so many of the adults I worked with were carrying unresolved trauma and attachment pain, and it was impacting their ability to feel at peace, secure, and connected. That naturally led me to specialize more deeply in relationships and eventually, breakups.

About a year ago, I realized that breakups were this massive, painful life experience that very few therapists were actually specializing in. So I leaned all the way in. I began focusing my work on people who struggle to let go after a breakup, especially those with anxious attachment who feel stuck, spiraling, or deeply disconnected from themselves after a relationship ends. When logic just isn’t working, that’s when I suggest deeper work to heal what’s getting in the way (with EMDR).

I also created a breakup baking workshop because I wanted healing to feel human, comforting, and communal, not clinical. My goal was to create a space where people could connect, do something grounding and enjoyable, and feel supported and cheered on no matter what phase of the breakup they were in.

Now I am in a phase of my career where I am fully committed to this niche I have created, helping people heal heartbreak, process attachment wounds, and find peace and confidence again after loss. It feels incredibly aligned, meaningful, and honestly exciting!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Overall, it’s been a pretty smooth road, but more in the sense of making a lot of very intentional turns along the way. I’m genuinely so happy I trusted my intuition, because it led me exactly to where I am now. There’s been a lot of learning and growth throughout the years, both personally and professionally.

One of my biggest challenges was shifting into a business mindset, rather than operating purely from curiosity and the desire to help people. When you work in nonprofit settings, so much is already decided for you. Who you work with, how you work, and the limits of the program. There’s safety in that, but also a ceiling.

Becoming a private practice owner came with a whole new learning curve. Maintaining a business, marketing, and learning how to be visible are all things we’re definitely not taught in school. Marketing, especially, pushed me to grow in ways I didn’t expect.

Another major piece of this journey has been being a single mom while running a business. Private practice allowed me to create my own schedule, which has been incredibly important to me. I value balance and sustainability, and I’ve been very intentional about not building a practice that leads to burnout. Having the freedom to design my days in a way that supports both my work and my family has been one of the biggest gifts of this path.

I’ve also had to do a lot of mindset work, especially during slower or quieter seasons. I’ve learned not to panic when things feel flat or assume I’m not growing. Those calmer moments have taught me that rest is part of the process, and more often than not, growth or the next level follows right after.

We’ve been impressed with Just Therapy LBC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I started my private practice in 2022, and it has grown into a space that I truly love and feel proud of. My work is now fully focused on breakups, attachment healing, and helping people feel more secure in their relationships and in dating. I mainly work with adults who feel stuck after heartbreak, especially those who identify as more sensitive or anxious and struggle to calm their nervous system after a relationship ends.

My approach is attachment-focused and trauma-informed, with EMDR as a core part of my work. I help clients heal childhood trauma, relationship wounds, and sexual trauma so they can feel safer, more grounded, and more confident moving forward.

What sets my practice apart is how human, supportive, and nurturing it feels. Therapy doesn’t have to be cold or intimidating. I also offer creative group experiences, like breakup baking workshops, to make healing feel more connected and accessible.

I’m currently creating a digital course for people who may not be able to work with me directly but still want tools to survive the aftermath of a breakup. Everything I offer is rooted in helping people feel secure within themselves, hopeful about love, and excited about what’s next.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Yes! One thing I love offering is EMDR intensives. All that means is therapy sessions that are longer than the traditional 50 minutes. Sometimes healing can feel slow simply because we’re constantly stopping and starting, especially when working with trauma or attachment wounds.

With EMDR, it’s often most helpful to continue the work and allow the body and nervous system to do what they naturally want to do, which is heal. Intensives let us stay with the process and really tackle the work instead of interrupting it week after week. They can be 90 minutes or up to three hours, depending on what someone needs.

Because of that, intensives can also be more cost-effective. People often make deeper progress in a shorter amount of time rather than stretching the work out over months. I see them as a powerful investment in healing and a great option for people who are ready to go all in and create real change.

Pricing:

• Consultations: Free
• Individual Therapy $200
• Baking Workshop $25
• 3 Hr Intensive Package- $1000

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.justtherapylbc.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stories/justtherapylbc/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JustTherapyLBC