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Finally Heal What Talk Therapy Couldn't. Trauma Recovery for Military, First Responders, & Survivors.

If you've been in therapy for years and still feel stuck, we offer nervous system-focused approaches to release deep-seated trauma patterns and create lasting change.

The Unseen Weight You Carry:
Why Knowing Isn't Always Healing.

You've served, you've protected, you've healed others – and you've endured. But beneath the surface, the cumulative effects of critical incidents, constant vigilance, and deeply impactful life events continue to disrupt your peace.

  • You've tried therapy, perhaps for years, but the deep-seated patterns, the constant hyper-vigilance, or the emotional numbness still persist.

  • The weight of cumulative stress from your service or profession (military, first responder, healthcare) feels crushing, impacting your relationships and daily life.

  • You understand what happened, but that intellectual understanding hasn't been enough to truly heal it in your body or nervous system.

  • You're exhausted by the struggle, seeking a genuine breakthrough, not just more coping strategies.

Unlock Deeper Healing Through Your Body's Innate Wisdom.

At Beyond the Badge, we understand that true healing isn't just about talking through your experiences. It's about directly addressing the trauma patterns held within your body and nervous system – the fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses that keep you stuck, even when you logically know you're safe.

Our specialized, trauma-informed therapies go beyond cognitive understanding. We utilize cutting-edge approaches designed to create new 'felt experiences,' allowing your nervous system to gently re-regulate, your body to release chronic tension, and your mind to find genuine calm. This isn't just about managing symptoms; it's about profound, transformative change that traditional talk therapy often cannot achieve.

What Makes Our Approach Different:

  • Direct Nervous System Work: We address trauma where it lives – in your body's physiological responses, not just your thoughts.

  • New Felt Experiences: Create pathways for safety and calm that override old, ingrained trauma patterns.

  • Release & Re-regulate: Move beyond chronic activation or shutdown to a state of resilience and presence.

  • Lasting Breakthroughs: Find relief from hyper-vigilance, anxiety, numbness, and exhaustion, even after years of struggle.

Your Journey to Healing Starts Here.

We specialize in supporting adults who carry the unique burdens of service and significant life experiences. If you identify with any of these roles, we understand the distinct challenges you face and are uniquely equipped to guide you toward healing:

  • Military & Veterans: Navigating the aftermath of service, combat trauma, moral injury, and the complex process of reintegration into civilian life.

  • First Responders (Law Enforcement, Fire, EMS): Processing critical incidents, vicarious trauma, chronic stress, and the immense weight of constant vigilance and sacrifice.

  • Healthcare Workers: Coping with compassion fatigue, burnout, ethical dilemmas, and the emotional toll of high-stakes, life-and-death environments.

  • Trauma Survivors: For any adult who has experienced significant trauma – whether from childhood, relationships, or other life events – and finds it impacting their daily peace, relationships, and ability to thrive.

How We Work Together to Create Lasting Change.

Your healing journey is designed to be clear, supportive, and highly effective:

1. Connect & Understand:

Action: Schedule your free, no-obligation consultation.

What Happens: We'll listen to your unique story, understand your goals, and assess if our specialized, nervous system-focused approach is the right fit for your breakthrough.

2. Personalized Healing Plan:

Action: If we're a good fit, we'll co-create a tailored therapy plan.

What Happens: This plan focuses on evidence-based nervous system regulation and trauma release methods, designed for deep, sustainable change, moving beyond what talk therapy offers.

3. Experience Profound Shift:

Action: Engage in transformative therapy sessions.

What Happens: Through gentle, body-centered techniques, you'll create new felt experiences, release old trauma patterns, and rewire your system for genuine calm, resilience, and presence.

4. Live Beyond the Badge:

Result: Move forward with newfound freedom and peace.

What Happens: You'll experience improved relationships, reduced anxiety, and the ability to thrive, unburdened by past trauma, truly living the life you deserve.

The Beyond the Badge Difference: Why Our Approach Works.

Clients come to Beyond the Badge when other forms of therapy haven't been enough. Here’s why our specialized focus leads to the breakthroughs you've been searching for:

  • Specialized Expertise: Deep understanding of military, first responder, and healthcare culture, combined with advanced, body-centered trauma therapy techniques. We speak your language.

  • Nervous System Focus: We don't just talk about trauma; we work directly with your body's innate capacity to heal and regulate, creating fundamental shifts.

  • Proven Results: Our clients often find the deep, lasting change they sought after years of traditional therapy that only scratched the surface.

  • Client-Centered Care: A safe, confidential, and compassionate space tailored precisely to your unique needs, pace, and comfort level.

  • Licensed Across Multiple States: Ensuring accessible, high-quality care for individuals in Rhode Island (RI), New York (NY), Missouri (MO), Connecticut (CT), and South Carolina (SC).

Don't Just Take Our Word For It: Hear From Those Who've Found Their Breakthrough.

Reviews are being updated!

J. Smith, Veteran

Reviews are being updated!

A. Rodriguez, Trauma Survivor

Reviews are being updated!

M. Chen, RN, Healthcare Worker

Your Expert Guide to Healing.

Hello, I'm Nicole Pingel, I’m a licensed trauma‑informed counselor serving individuals who have been through more than what words can reach.

You’ve been in therapy. You’ve already sat in rooms, repeated your story, tried to change your thinking. But here’s something conventional therapy often misses: trauma is stored in your body and nervous system, and until your system can regulate, your mind can’t fully follow.

I specialize in working with people who’ve given a lot — military members, first responders, healthcare professionals — and with anyone who’s lived through repeated or deep trauma across time. My clients often come to me when “talking” is no longer enough.

My work is rooted in nervous‑system informed modalities. We’ll move beyond words to help your system release trapped survival reactions, integrate new felt experiences, and rebuild a foundation of internal safety. The goal isn’t just symptom relief — it’s transforming how your body and psyche hold life again.

Licensed in Rhode Island (RI), New York (NY), Missouri (MO), Connecticut (CT), and South Carolina (SC), I offer remote sessions to bring this work to you, wherever you are. If you’re ready to stop telling your story and start healing from your history, I’d be honored to walk with you.

Ready for Your Breakthrough?

If you're ready to break the cycle, release old patterns, and experience a level of healing you thought was out of reach, it's time to connect. Take the first step towards a life where you thrive, unburdened by the past.

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