Nancy Ferguson, MSW, LISW-S

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Nancy serves as an Outpatient Therapist at the Lindner Center of HOPE.

She describes her work with patients as being grounded in empathy, genuineness, and kindness.  She has particular expertise in facilitating hope, growth and change related to depression, anxiety, and trauma.  Her clinical experience prior to joining the Lindner Center of Hope included three decades of work as a therapist in various settings, including community mental health, the Regional Campuses of Miami University (serving both traditional and non-traditional age students), and a local rape crisis center. Her approach to working with patients incorporates CPT (Cognitive Processing Therapy), CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention), and other evidence-based treatments.  She utilizes a psychodynamic/ family systems lens and has a holistic view of health and wellness.

Nancy sees her role as helping her patients tell their stories, examine their situations, and consider changes in their thinking or actions that could support wished-for outcomes such as improved mood, lowered anxiety, and greater peace.  She sees herself as walking alongside patients: working hard to understand her patient’s perspectives, feelings, and beliefs; serving as an ally and guide in considering new approaches to the difficult issues they face; and offering feedback along the path to change.

Specific areas of focus and experience include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Faith integrated psychotherapy for people of all faiths
• Trauma (including mass shootings, sexual assault, childhood abuse, other crimes, first responder trauma, vehicle accidents, weather disasters, fires, medical trauma, refugee experiences, war and genocide)
• People living with medical challenges (autoimmune disorders, diabetes, cancer, etc.)
• Parents of medically fragile children
• Care for nurses and physical therapists
• Elder caregiving
• Relationship concerns
• Relationship loss
• Grief for lost loved ones (including our animals)
• Shame and self-compassion
• Transgender and gender diverse individuals (in particular, concerns around adjustment during transition and living authentically)
• Twins
• Bias and bigotry harm (Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, anti-Asian hate crimes, systemic racism and discrimination experiences)
• Impacts of family trauma (such as families impacted by incarceration, border separations and issues of DACA recipients, intergenerational abuse, Native American/Indigenous experiences including Indian schools, Holocaust survivors, and military service-related deaths and injuries)
• The American immigrant experience and culturally resonant treatment issues

and

• Psychotherapy for psychotherapists

Nancy has extensive experience training and supervising other clinicians.  She has taught graduate and undergraduate university courses related to psychotherapy, diversity in marriages and families, and the art and science of relationships that work.

Her volunteer roles have included: development and delivery of training for the first nationwide sexual assault and abuse intervention program in the Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies (in cooperation with the United States Peace Corps and the Dominican Ministry of Health); screener of applicants for GRRAND (Golden Retriever Rescue and Adoption of Needy Dogs); President/Chair of the Board of Trustees for S.A.N.E. of Butler County, a forensic science non-profit;  Board Member for the Oxford Museum Association;  and United Nations Envoy/ Global Goals for Sustainability Champion.

In her spare time, Nancy is an artist, gardener of mixed success, and caretaker of a family that has included many animals, including dogs, cats, hens, and an Arabian horse.  She lives in a farmhouse that was built in 1867 and loves old things.

This provider offers telehealth visits. 

Degrees:

• 1990 A.B. Brown University, Providence, RI
• 1992 M.S.W, Clinical Mental Health, Cincinnati, OH

Internship:

• 1990-1992 M.S.W. Internship, Child and Family Division of Central Psychiatric Clinic, University of Cincinnati, OH

Grants:

Most recently, Nancy was a Principal Investigator for a 3-year SAMHSA suicide prevention grant. Over the course of her career she was awarded 74 additional grants from various government and philanthropic entities related to sexual assault and abuse survivor services and prevention/risk reduction.

Publications:

Piercey, J., Ferguson, N. “Looking for Love: Exploring Teen-Adult Relationships.” Documentary video and psychoeducational curriculum manual (Campbell Foundation, 1998).

Documentary concerned the dynamics of relationships with significant age disparity.

Awards:

In May 2000 Nancy was recognized with a Special Achievement Award by Ohio Attorney General and the United States Department of Justice for “outstanding service on behalf of crime victims”.