Member Highlight — Kelly Lowry, LMFT, PPS

Nickie Godfrey, MA, LMFT

After 30+ years as a psychotherapist in LA, Naomi “Nickie” Godfrey shows no signs of slowing down. This year, Nickie moved into a new Woodland Hills office suite that she shares with other seasoned therapists including SFV-CAMFT’s own Robin Scott Walker, Ariel Cohen, and Bennett Goldberg.

Admittedly, at this stage, she is making sure she has plenty of time to indulge in lifelong passions including choral singing and painting. As an undergrad at UCLA, Nickie was a member of the Roger Wagner Chorale and has fond memories of singing, especially at the Grand Opening of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion back in 1964. Currently, she sings with the LA Zimryiah Choral, a group dedicated to singing Jewish themed music with particular emphasis on music from the holocaust.

In addition, for the past several years, Nickie has been painting with Robin Walker in his office/studio on Thursday mornings. During our interview, Nickie showed me a variety of recently painted and older masterpieces still waiting in the hallway to find their home on her new office walls.

So it’s no wonder that Nickie continues to turn to Gestalt Therapy as her primary approach when working with clients. She tells me that she was attracted to the modality right at the beginning of her career because of its artful and sensual nature. For emphasis, she quotes Fritz Perls iconic phrase, “Loose your mind and come to your senses.” Nickie affiliated with the Gestalt Institute of LA at a time when Fritz Perls’ wife and co-founder was a guest trainer there and the other trainers were students of Perls himself. The excitement for this new modality was tangible and ignited a lasting passion. A few years later Nickie studied Gestalt “play therapy” with the incomparable Violet Oaklander. She always remembers Violet saying there is more to language than the spoken word. “Communication can also take place via colors, lines, and shapes.”

Over the years Nickie has received certifications in newer therapeutic modalities including Thought-Field Therapy and EMDR but she finds that the Gestalt approach is still the most effective in expanding her clients’ awareness and that the interactive relationship is exciting and growthful for clients. To illustrate, Nickie describes a favorite technique she uses. She’ll ask them to pick a crayon, use their non-dominant hand to make a scribble, then to take another color in their dominant hand, find a form in the scribble and highlight it. Once this is done, she asks the client to dialogue with the resulting form. This exercise consistently brings “unaware” information to the surface in powerful ways. Instead of simply talking about past situations, clients are encouraged to experience their own process in the moment.

Over the years, Nickie has utilized Gestalt Therapy effectively with a variety of populations including a memorable experience with a multiple-personality disordered client. Nickie enjoys sharing her passion for Gestalt Therapy and is available to present to groups who are interested in learning more. To learn more about Nickie visit her websites at: godfreycrisistherapy.com or parentingadultkids.com.

Kelly Lowry, MFT, PPS, is a retired school counselor and recent empty nester who is embarking on her “3rd Act.” After over 25 years working with children and families in private practice, social service, and school settings, she now specializes in providing “Life Coaching” to teens, young adults, and young parents who need support finding their way. For more info: www.kellylowrymft.com, kellylowry50@gmail.com, 310.403.8562.