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I come from a lineage of musicians and healers and I am a researcher, facilitator, sound therapist, and artist working in service of people and planet.

My first career was as an internationally touring musician and teaching artist. After I received my Masters in Social Work with a focus on group facilitation, my second career began as a community organizer and researcher. In that capacity, I worked with thousands of others to win policy campaigns and implement programs that improved working conditions for millions of workers and advanced environmental justice principles.

After these campaign wins, I focused on building the infrastructure needed to implement and sustain improved working conditions and more equitable environmental policy. I founded and led non-profits organizations and coalitions, and raised more than 25 million dollars for organizations that support workers rights, leadership development and training programs, environmental justice, and equitable community development projects. I was recognized by the City of Seattle for my work to advance civil rights and was named one of the 15 people who should run Seattle.

I have a B.A. in Public Policy and Anthropology from William and Mary, and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Washington with a focus on community centered integrative practice. I have additional training in coaching for wellbeing and liberation, creative facilitation, theatre of the oppressed, sound therapy, sound healing, and intuitive healing modalities. I have been a musician for three decades and have spent 15 years learning and practicing meditation, sound healing, intuitive coaching, and facilitation.

Building on these experiences I founded Transformative Shifts in 2020.

Awards & Recognitions

Testimonials

  • Nicole came into my world when the board of Goodwin Connections began exploring how to close its doors. We knew it would be hard for our long time supporters, we knew there would be legal requirements and obligations, and we knew we wanted our remaining assets to honor our long time mission.

    Nicole made it easy - she stepped up to lead when we needed her to, she delved in to acquire all sort of specific expertise so that she could advise us, and she established a decision and communication process that allowed our board and community to process feelings and come to very difficult decisions in a way that built us up rather than divided us.

    Her compassion and quiet leadership in this process made something difficult and sad into something beautiful and kind.

    I felt better and more confident in our decisions and efforts throughout my time working with Nicole and would recommend her to anyone working though a potentially acrimonious situation or even just a group looking to make a strong and strategic decision.

    Thank you, Nicole, for all that you did for Goodwin and me personally during the last 6 months. I am so grateful and happy to have you in my network, and would enthusiastically work with you again.

    Carolyn, Board Member, Goodwin Connections

  • “A coalition I was part of was facing two big issues - an ongoing conflict that was inhibiting our ability make decisions and an impending deadline to determine how our next annual budget would be distributed amongst us. Nicole skillfully built trust and understanding with the main parties in conflict and created a process for us to have difficult conversations grounded in restorative justice and healing. In addition to helping us re-center around our shared values and goals, Nicole worked with us to develop a new racial justice framework tool for budgeting through which we reached consensus on funding decisions transparently and equitably.”—Elena

  • “Nicole was a graceful listener, wise counsel, and a source of empowerment. She helped me navigate complex situations where race and identity bias manifested themselves in work interactions by providing advice from her own extensive experience navigating these dynamics. Nicole also empowered me to develop a “big picture” vision for my role based on goals that felt meaningful to me and the impact I wanted to make.” — Diana

  • "I wanted to take a moment to sincerely thank you for the wonderful retreat you guided us through last week on Friday. It was perfect – just what I was hoping for and what we as a team needed. It was wonderful to stretch, move, share and connect. I want to name a favorite part, but all if it had something that was so wonderful" — Toshiko

  • “Nicole is the true definition of a light worker—wise, grounded, compassionate and skilled in creating and holding space for transformation. My session with Nicole was a deeply profound experience. Her oracle reading spoke to my guiding question in a clear, illuminating way, setting the stage for the sound journey that followed. During the sound journey, I experienced a range of emotions—I cried, I felt curious and I ultimately felt the deep sense of support that is all around me. The entire session touched me in a way that I hadn’t expected. It activated me on a cellular level, and rekindled in me a true sense of home. I feel so grateful that Nicole and her healing work came into my life at this time and I very much look forward to another session with her in the future.” — www.laurniewilson.com

  • "My intuitive reading session with Nicole was fairly unbelievable. She immediately touched on the heart of my current state, and provided very helpful guidance for moving through this time. The reading was also uncannily spot-on with regard to a specific question I asked. It was a safe and magical experience, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is willing to let a little magic in from the ancestors and guides in their lives. Nicole and her gifts are wonderful." — Lauren