Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Bankhead.
Hi Nicole, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always been someone who pays attention to what’s happening beneath the surface—what people feel but don’t always have words for. I became a therapist because I wanted people to feel genuinely understood and safe to be themselves. Early in my career, I noticed that while talk therapy could bring insight, it didn’t always create the deeper, embodied change people were seeking. I wanted to help people feel better not just in their thoughts, but in their nervous system, relationships, and daily life.
That intention led me to expand into modalities like EMDR, Internal Family Systems, somatic work, neurofeedback, and eventually psychedelic-assisted therapy. Each layer of learning affirmed that healing happens when we honor the mind, the body, and the inner wisdom each person already carries.
My own journey eventually led me to ketamine-assisted psychotherapy—first personally and then professionally. I saw how, when held in a safe and supportive therapeutic container, it can soften long-standing defenses and reconnect people to compassion for themselves. That experience reshaped my understanding of what it means to heal and return to oneself.
This is what inspired me to create Serenity Wellness and Counseling Center in Cypress, Texas—a place grounded in integrity, depth, and relational safety. A place where people are not rushed, where trust is the foundation, and where we work at the root rather than just addressing symptoms.
Today, my work continues to evolve. I support clients through therapy and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, facilitate psilocybin group retreats, and mentor clinicians in offering this work safely and ethically. Alongside my husband Bryan, we also focus on restoring the nervous system and gut-brain balance, because healing is emotional, physical, and relational all at once.
After hundreds of ketamine sessions and many retreats, one truth remains constant: people do not need to be fixed. They need to be met, understood, and guided back into connection with themselves.
My story is still unfolding. But the heart of my work remains the same:
Healing is possible, and none of us are meant to walk that journey alone.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. I’ve had to learn a lot through experience—especially on the business side of this work. I lead with my heart, and in the beginning, that made me vulnerable to being taken advantage of. There were times when people saw my drive and passion and tried to benefit from it in ways that weren’t aligned or ethical. I went through some very difficult transitions early in my business that required me to step into a stronger, clearer version of myself.
I also made investments in marketing and operational support that did not match the values or quality of the work we do. There were seasons where it felt like two steps forward and three steps back. But there were also people along the way who genuinely wanted to see the mission succeed—and those relationships reminded me why I started this in the first place.
This field isn’t one where you become wealthy. Deep healing work takes time, presence, training, and emotional capacity. To do it well, therapists must be supported and compensated fairly—which means the business margins can be very thin. But for me, and for my team, the return has always been in the transformation we witness. When someone reconnects with themselves, when a family system shifts, when a person begins to feel safe in their own body again—that is the value.
We’re not driven by volume, quick fixes, or symptom management. We’re here because healing lives are worth the investment. And even when the business side has felt heavy or complex, the work itself has always been the compass that keeps us moving forward.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Serenity Wellness and Counseling Center is a place where healing is approached with depth, intention, and care. We specialize in trauma-informed therapy, Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy, EMDR, Internal Family Systems, LENS Neurofeedback, and integrative approaches that support both the mind and the nervous system. Our work is grounded in the belief that healing happens when people feel safe, connected, and understood—not rushed or pushed.
What sets us apart is the way we hold space. We don’t treat people as diagnoses, and we don’t rely on quick fixes. We take the time to understand the whole person—their history, their patterns of protection, their strengths, their nervous system, and their capacity for healing. Every therapist on our team is trained to work gently and deeply, helping clients reconnect with the parts of themselves they had to disconnect from in order to survive.
We also support children, teens, adults, and couples—because healing looks different at every stage of life. Our clinicians are trained in CBT, DBT, play therapy, and relationship-based approaches that meet each person right where they are. Whether a child is struggling to make sense of big feelings, a teen is navigating identity and overwhelm, an adult is unpacking long-held patterns, or a couple is working to repair trust and communication—we tailor the work with care, attunement, and respect.
We are also one of the few practices in the region offering Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy in a truly therapeutic and supportive format—not just medication management or dosing sessions. Our sessions are deeply curated, relational, and integration-focused. In addition, we facilitate psilocybin group retreats outside of Texas and train clinicians in how to offer psychedelic-assisted therapy ethically and safely.
Another distinctive part of our approach is our three-prong healing model: mind, body, and spirit.
Healing is not just emotional—it is also physiological and relational.
Mind: We work through therapy modalities like EMDR, IFS, and trauma-informed talk therapy to understand and shift the stories, beliefs, and protective systems that developed for survival.
Body (Nervous System & Brain): We use LENS Neurofeedback to help the brain reset and regulate. This is especially powerful for individuals who cannot easily access calm or presence through talk therapy alone. LENS helps the nervous system release old patterns of reactivity, allowing clients to experience relief and emotional flexibility that were previously out of reach.
Gut–Brain & Functional Medicine Support: Alongside therapy, my husband Bryan guides clients through targeted gut healing, nutrition, and lifestyle support. We see over and over again that when inflammation, stress hormones, and gut imbalance are addressed, clients can access and sustain emotional healing more naturally. The body becomes a safe place to live in again.
When clients engage in all three layers of the work, we see profound, lasting transformation. People sleep better. Their anxiety decreases. Their emotional responses soften. They reconnect with joy, purpose, and clarity. Their capacity to feel present in their own life expands.
This holistic model is not about symptom management—it’s about rewiring how someone experiences themselves and the world.
Brand-wise, I am most proud of our commitment to integrity and compassion. We are here to do the work slowly, intentionally, and with depth. We are not a high-volume clinic. We are a community of practitioners who genuinely care about the people we serve.
What I want readers to know is this:
Healing is possible. You do not have to carry everything alone. And when the right support, safety, and connection are in place, people rediscover who they truly are—not who they had to become to survive.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I was the friend everyone came to when they needed someone to talk to. I was the person people would say, “I’ll never lose your number,” because they knew I would show up, listen, and care. Looking back, that role came naturally to me, not because everything in my life was easy, but because I understood what it felt like to need support.
I went through my own experiences of trauma as a child, both within family conflict and abuse that happened outside the home. Those were painful chapters that shaped me early. But they also taught me how deeply people need safety, understanding, and someone who can be steady when things feel overwhelming. I didn’t have the language for it then, but I was already learning how to hold space for others while learning how to navigate my own healing.
I was a good student, someone who enjoyed learning, and I found comfort in connection—my friends were my grounding. I also spent a lot of time outdoors. Nature felt like a place I could exhale. I loved animals and even considered becoming a veterinarian at one point. I swam competitively for about ten years and later coached, which taught me discipline, leadership, and how to guide others gently but confidently.
I also loved working with children, and still do. Their honesty, creativity, and capacity for resilience feel familiar to me.
When I look back now, I can see that the foundations of who I am were already forming—someone who listens deeply, cares fully, and believes in the possibility of healing. My childhood wasn’t easy, but it gave me empathy, intuition, and a clarity about the kind of person I wanted to be in the world.
It makes complete sense that I am doing this work today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.serenitywellnessandcounseling.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/serenitywellnessandcounseling/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/serenitywellnesscentercypress
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/serenitywellnessandcounseling/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SerenityWellnessandCounseling
Image Credits
Angi Lewis
Owner & CEO, Angi Lewis Studios
281.224.1542 | www.angilewis.com
1520 Center Street | Suite #2 | Houston TX 77007
