My Approach to Helping
Victorious Counseling Services was started in 2019 by Nik Protasenia. Nik is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC1) in the state of Massachusetts. He is also a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in New Jersey. Nik enjoys getting to know his patients and is looking forward to eliminating the stigma that many feel about entering counseling. After working in a variety of treatment settings over the years, Nik decided to open his own practice as a means to not only help people, but allow him the opportunity to do it his own way. This is a great example of self-actualization, which is something he encourages all of his patients to do.
More Info About My Practice
While I do like to specialize in working with men it is not the only population I work with. There are some other special interests I have, and I believe I can help people with.
Chronic illness support:
I have been living with Type 1 Diabetes since I was 13 years old. It is a chronic medical condition that I will have to manage for the rest of my life until a cure is found. When you live with a chronic disease you have good days and you have bad days. I am no different than you. Allow me to understand what you are thinking and feeling during chronic disease management. It will require a team effort to get you well.
Sport psychology:
I received my Masters Degree in Education from Boston University with a specialization in Sport Psychology. This is a relatively new field, but nonetheless I believe that people can learn a lot about performance enhancement when you have a grasp of what you have between the ears. I was engaged in and and still remain active in several sporting activities. I believe that athletics allows you to learn things you would not get from simply going into a classroom or a workplace. Physical activity is the best anti depressant, and only thirty minutes a day of physical activity is recommended for improvement. Plus, it makes you physically stronger and gives you the new mindset that you have the ability to grow into a more powerful person. Allow me to find out what you want to do better, and I would love to hear what you have to overcome. This is the essence of the human spirit.
Substance Use:
At the time I didn't know it but I had grown up around someone who used alcohol to cope with mental illness. Men are more likely to use substances to quell with emotional distress, but they are less likely to seek help for this. As a result, suffering in silence remains the most utilized intervention. Most addictive behavior is rooted as a way to escape from confronting life's realities. The majority of people who meet criteria for a substance use disorder have untreated mental illness that stems from trauma. Let's stop fleeing from life.
