Nika saffarian-toussi, PSYD
post-doctoral fellow in clinical psychology
supervised by kelleigh head, psyd
Nika is an Iranian-American post-doctoral fellow who is currently working toward becoming a licensed clinical psychologist. She holds a Psy.D. degree from Oklahoma City University and completed her predoctoral internship at Centra Psychiatry and Behavioral Health in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Throughout her academia, Nika has worked extensively with individuals, families, and groups of various ages and settings (e.g., private practice, outpatient psychiatric facilities, juvenile detention centers, group homes, university student counseling center, inpatient hospital) to address a wide range of psychological concerns including anxiety, depression, neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., autism, ADHD), PTSD, intellectual disabilities, conduct-related disorders, personality disorders, relationship challenges, grief, and life transitions. With that being said, she aims to focus on continuing to provide individual therapy to those in need who are 13 years of age and older. She takes a compassionate, evidence-based approach to therapy, drawing from modalities such as Person-Centered and CBT approaches.
In addition to clinical work, Nika has contributed to research through her master’s and doctoral papers that focused on characteristics of parents (e.g., stress levels, attitudes, parenting strategies) and the relationship with their children. She has also contributed greatly to program development during her predoctoral internship year by helping develop therapy groups that focused on psychoeducation, skills training, and emotional healing for diverse populations including neurodiverse individuals and the geriatric population.
Her interest and experience in working with diverse individuals has equipped her with a broad understanding of different cultural and socioeconomical backgrounds as she remains committed to ongoing education and cultural competence. Nika brings personal experience and understanding to her clients and also speaks casual/conversational Farsi fluently. She aims to provide a judgement-free environment and engages in a collaborative therapeutic relationship to foster growth and healing while also providing evidence-based skills/techniques for coping and self-regulation.
Nika works out of our Richardson office. To schedule an appointment with her, please email at nika.saffarian@richlandoaks.org.
Ellen accepts BCBS, Cigna, and Baylor Scott & White.