Nico Tawa
Insurance
Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO
Blue Choice PPO
Medicaid
Nico is a master's-level clinical social work intern at Resilience and a Master of Social Work student at Smith College. He earned his bachelor's degree in Psychology from DePaul University. His approach to therapy is grounded in curiosity, humility, and a genuine interest in understanding people beyond the circumstances that bring them into therapy. He values authentic therapeutic relationships built on trust, respect, and the freedom for individuals to show up as themselves.
Nico's professional background includes school-based counseling, youth mentorship, and community-centered work. As the founder of Favella Football Club, a Chicago-based initiative that uses soccer and culture to foster connection and belonging, he has witnessed how meaningful relationships and shared spaces can support emotional well-being beyond traditional clinical settings. These experiences have strengthened his belief that healing is both an individual and collective process.
As a Latino man born in Colombia and raised in the United States, Nico brings a personal understanding of how culture, identity, and belonging shape our experiences. His lived experiences have influenced his curiosity about the intersections of identity, family, community, and the larger systems that shape our lives. He recognizes that our experiences cannot be separated from the environments and relationships that have shaped us.
Nico is particularly interested in supporting individuals navigating complex trauma, emotional dysregulation, intergenerational trauma, and the challenges that emerge at the intersection of identity and systemic inequities. His clinical interests include men's mental health, Latinx mental health, neurodivergence, ADHD, racial trauma, and relationship dynamics. He is especially curious about how cultural expectations influence vulnerability, emotional expression, and the ways individuals seek support.
Nico approaches therapy through a relational, trauma-informed, and anti-oppressive lens. He views therapy as a collaborative process that respects clients as experts in their own experiences. His practice is informed by cognitive behavioral, dialectical behavioral, psychodynamic, and relational frameworks, alongside mindfulness, narrative, somatic, and strengths-based approaches. He recognizes that no single framework fully captures the complexities of an individual's experiences and values remaining flexible and responsive to each client's needs.
Nico strives to create a therapeutic space where clients feel understood without being defined by their diagnoses or circumstances. He believes meaningful growth comes through curiosity, reflection, and a willingness to explore the patterns and experiences that shape how we relate to ourselves and others. His goal is to support clients in developing greater self-understanding while honoring their autonomy in defining what healing looks like for them.
