Co-Counseling is one of the unique and powerful options at NCI.

Co-Counseling is two therapists working in tandum on one case.  It could be a couple counseling, individual counseling or family counseling situation in which two of our fine counseling professionals work within that case structure as a team.  

There are many advantages to co-therapy. It provides two expert opinions about the nature of the issues and a double the creativity in designing plans and therapy modalities for their clients. The adage "two heads are better than one" could not be more apt for this therapy option.

When you contact us for an appointment, please ask about our Co-Counseling option.

Historically counseling in Northwest Arkansas has been unavailable to a large part of the population due to a language and cultural barrier. We are so pleased to have broken that barrier at NCI.

Debbie Pinkston, Ph.D. is fluent in speaking and writing Spanish and has recently returned to the United States after 25 years as a missionary to Venezuela.  Since she has been immersed in the culture, she brings sensitivities that neither translation nor American Spanish speaking persons could provide. It is the same high quality counseling only in Spanish language and with internalized cultural awareness.

Debbie has more than 8 years experience as a counseling professional. She is currently working under the internship program of the University of Arkansas to complete the formal requirements of licensure in the State of Arkansas.

Spanish speaking families, teens and adults finally have a culturally sensitive resource to help them when a counelor is needed.

Intimate relationships are the most rewarding and challenging in human experience. We help couples understand their communication patterns, heal from brokenness in their marriage and initiate a new relational culture that is mutually pleasing and meaningful.

Someone has said, "70% of communication is MIScommunication." We come along side and help people discover what is inside each person that is positive and the barriers within that block good communication.  We also help couples develop new ways of expressing themselves to avoid pressing their partner's hot buttons.

Our marriage counseling staff is skilled at empathizing with each person and the pain in their relationship.  We seek to identify underlying causes to difficult relationships and present clear models of effective communication that improve the sense of closeness and intimacy in your relationship. 

Among the issues that we have experience with are communication, unfaithfulness, sexual issues, disruptive influences of in-laws or others, blended family issues, chronic health and caretaker issues, past trauma, finances and more.

If married, you will find us to be marriage supportive.  That is, we will work to preserve a vital marriage relationship and go as far as both persons are willing to repair a broken relationship. It is our joy to see many begin the marriage counseling process as estranged couples and complete the journey having healed from their wounds and learned from the scars in their relationship. They leave with a renewed sense of hope and have taken their first significant steps to insure their relational success.

We understand that there are times when it is not possible for two persons to live well with each other and will remain supportive of the individuals who seek a divorce or who come to us as divorcees. We are also available to assist couples who divorce to take that difficult step in such a way to bring the least harm to each other and to any children or other family members who may be involved. We also offer family therapy sessions to divorcing or divorced couples to ease the pain of going through these stressful transitions.

Whatever the circumstance, you will find our counselors conveying understanding, compassionate, caring and practical support of each person.

Our grief and loss support team is keenly sensitive to many kinds of loss, grief and the effects of long-term illness.

It is unbelievably difficult to suffer chronic illness, death of a loved one, divorce, or other loss. The impact can be multiply and intensify on those who love and care for them. It is isolating and frustrating to have, at one moment, your health, mobility, dreams for the future, or a loved one and the next moment --- they are gone, sometimes never to return.

The experience of our counseling professionals is unparallelled. Personal and professional experience with chronic illness and loss have taught us to walk with people on their painful and highly individualized journey of grief.

In the book Tear Soup we see the wise grieving woman develop her own recipe for grief, unique to her own loss and to her own walk with and through her grief. We know, as those who have suffered loss ourselves, that grief is our own.  There are no formulas and no time tables but each must find their way. We will be with you every step of the way.

One valuable resource is the book When Healing Doesn't Come by one of our counselors, Jennie P. Martin.

We hope you will call if you need a companion on your journey through loss, chronic illness or care taking, death or divorce.

Northwest Counseling staff are trained and experienced in helping children and adults overcome the negative, destructive influences of abuse on their lives and relationships. It is a trajedy when people suffer at the hands of others. Abuse is an all too common issue. Even when abuse is not the primary issue in counsleing, it often surfaces as a major part of marriage counseling and family counseling issues.

Both sexual abuse and physical abuse is especially disturbing when the victim is a child.

It is our commitment to do whatever is possible to protect people from abuse, help them heal from abuse, and overcome unwanted responses in their current lives that flow from their past abuse.

Our sensitive and caring child counselors will bring help and healing to young hearts through play therapy and other techniques. Family sessions are available to help the abuser and their family grow through difficulties surrounding abuse.

Please contact our office info@ncicares.com LINK if you or a loved one is in need of help to recover from the trauma or long term effects of abuse.

When life isn’t working, application of faith principles can help.  Counseling and faith are often complimentary.  Faith based, or Christian counseling supports clients’ moral convictions and encourages applications of faith principles as part of the therapeutic process.  Faith is an important and powerful personal resource for our clients who need help.   

For many, faith is a source of strength, conviction and hope for life change. NCI is a professional faith based counseling service in Northwest Arkansas.

We are Professionals.  We are all licensed under the laws of the State of Arkansas , and heartily subscribe to the ACA code of ethics and are continually updating our skills and methods through continuing education, NCI in-service training and subscribing to professional journals.

We are Faith Based.  Each counselor subscribes to a personal faith and has had training specifically designed to integrate faith and counseling as people helpers. We are loving and non-judgmental.  Issues of faith are never always available for those who seek solutions to life’s problems from a faith perspective.  Faith integration is only offered when expressly desired by clients. It is never forced.