ABout

My name is Nigel Cook (he/him/his) and I am a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) specializing in trauma-informed  therapeutic services in the greater St. Louis area. I graduated from the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in 2017 where I studied treating mental health symptoms associated with interpersonal violence and childhood trauma. Since graduation, I have primarily been a full-time child and adolescent therapist treating children and teenagers impacted by various traumatic events (sexual assault, neglect, physical abuse, etc.). In addition to being a therapist, I also help teach graduate-level social work courses at Washington University and The University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) and supervise masters-level students as they begin working with their first long-term therapy clients. 

Outside of my work within therapeutic spaces, I have a variety of hobbies I enjoy - collecting comic books, exercising, cooking, and photography.

I started Manifest Counseling so that I could help individuals of all ages, identities, and backgrounds find clarity within chaos.  No matter what the circumstances, you are always the author of your life story. Your lived experience can be what you want to make of it, no matter what other people do or say. I chose the word "manifest" because of how former clients have described therapy as a transformative process that allowed them to embrace their true selves.

An old mentor of mine said it best: "Therapy is a lot like venting to a bartender, except instead of alcohol you'll be given compassion and acceptance instead."