Evolving Faith in The Midst of Our Current Culture – Seemingly now more than ever before, a shift is occurring within the evangelical church. Different than previous patterns of those who depart from the churches they grew up in for a season in young adulthood but then return as they marry & start traditional families, or people “falling” away who weren’t really “that serious” about their faith to begin with, there are many who have faithfully been part of faith communities from decades who are struggling deeply with the current realities, attitudes, & practices of the evangelical church. Some are walking away all together. Whether you feel perplexed or frustrated by this reality, or maybe you self-identify as one of those who no longer see faith the way you used to, there is deeper insight and understanding and available to you. Come hear from the poster child of “Fitting In” with Christian culture and who has spent the last 8+ years grappling with the realities of those who are deconstructing and/or reconstructing their faith.

Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention – In the midst of the #MeToo movement, our country is more aware than ever before of the horrible realities that exist when it comes to sexual assault. Awareness, prevention, and bystander intervention is key. On a collegiate level, Nicole has engaged with undergraduate students about the realities of sexual assault statistics, how gender plays a role, what myths continue to exist about sexual assault due to rape culture, the crucial importance of teaching consent, etc. Partnered with the It’s on Us campaign created by the White House team in 2014, Nicole realized the critical importance of engaging with this topic in order to create a healthier country for this generation and the ones to come.

Healthy Relationships – In a world where relationships are #couplegoals and everything looks perfect on social media, it’s so easy to put romantic relationships on a pedestal and assume that because our own relationships are hard work, that we must be doing it wrong. With 7 years of marriage to a fantastic guy, Nicole peels back the curtain to show that even when you’re married to someone wonderful, that marriage is incredibly difficult. By being to reflect back on past long-term dating relationships, some short-term ones, and even an abusive one, Nicole has plenty of experience to help people wade through their own experience, debunk some of those “perfect couple” myths, and lean into the messy realities of what it takes to make a relationship work.

Body Image – We are constantly bombarded by images that makes us feel like “too much” and “not enough.”  Be it on social media, TV, movies, billboards, magazines, etc. there is no shortage of messages that make us feel inadequate and abnormal. The grand majority of us look in the mirror and don’t like what we see; we can easily identify something we wish we could magically change about ourselves, but one thing becomes two or three, then five, then ten…. That list can get very long indeed. We compare ourselves to an ideal that rarely (if ever) exists. We are brutally unkind and rigidly judgmental about our bodies and the bodies of others. What would it take for us to change that? To be kind to ourselves? To slowly start to look in the mirror and make a different kind of list?

LGBTQ+ awareness & sensitivity amongst Christians – In a cultural climate that says that the LGBTQ+ community and the Christian community must forever be at odds with one another, it’s hard to imagine a middle ground. And yet a growing number of people, both who identify as LGBTQ+ and those who don’t, are showing up to create a third option. Packed with personal experience & moving stories, this conversation helps build a bridge between two sides. For those who engage with their faith but also deeply love the LGBTQ+ people in their lives but aren’t sure how those two things can coexist, this one’s for you.

Mental Health Awareness & Emotional Intelligence – In a culture that is dealing with the repercussions of everything from bullying, perfectionism, rigid gender roles, toxic masculinity, racism, sexism, unhealthy family dynamics, suicide, and mass shootings, we are finally elevating the conversation about the importance of mental health & emotional intelligence. When it hasn’t been your norm to see this kind of health as just as important as your physical health, it takes practice to give yourself the language and the tools to create room for yourself to be fully human in this way. Come learn, feel validated, and dispel the stigma of mental health.

Boundaries – What does it look like to set healthy boundaries? In a world that constantly demands so much of us, how can we set ourselves up for success in our family relationships, work relationships, romantic relationships, etc. by clearly communicating our needs & thoughts in a healthy way? How can we express our thoughts while maintaining relationships, without building resentment?