Nikki Wendt

little ones, big feelings

Steady, gentle support for young children and their families.

I'm Nikki Wendt, a master's student in Clinical Counseling Psychology with a Play Therapy specialization. Since 2019 I've helped children name big feelings, find calm, and feel safe, working hand in hand with their parents and teachers.

Email Nikki See my experience

Studying
M.S. Clinical Counseling Psychology, Brenau University
Specialization
Play Therapy, practicum begins Summer 2027
Based in
Atlanta, Georgia
Languages
English, Russian, and American Sign Language

What I do

Practical, kind support that fits into a child's real day, and keeps parents in the loop.

Support children

Emotional regulation

Helping children name their feelings and practice coping strategies, with me staying calm and steady beside them when things get hard.

Positive behavior support

Predictable routines, clear expectations, and early de-escalation, so hard moments happen less often and pass more gently.

Triggers and patterns

Noticing what comes before a difficult moment, adjusting in real time, and keeping notes to share with parents.

Everyday skills

Planning, transitions, and organization built into the daily routine, plus gentle coaching through sibling and playgroup conflicts.

Partner with families

Parent check-ins

Turning what I see day to day into clear, encouraging updates on milestones, behavior, and feelings, and planning next steps together.

Early concerns, shared gently

Noticing early signs of developmental concern and sharing them respectfully. I've referred families to Babies Can't Wait for hearing, speech, and sensory concerns.

Finding more support

Encouraging occupational therapy and parent-led play therapy, and helping families find support in their own area.

Consistency across adults

Working with co-teachers, administrators, and caregivers so a child's support stays the same from one place to the next.

Keep everyone safe

Crisis awareness

Crisis intervention techniques when they're needed, safety plans built with families, and knowing when to refer to a licensed professional.

Confidentiality and records

Strict confidentiality and careful documentation, from daily preschool logs to SOAP notes as a peer counselor.

Trained for the hard moments

Mental Health First Aid, QPR suicide prevention, naloxone and opioid overdose response, and CPR and First Aid.

In homes and communities

Support that goes where the child or family is, backed by a clean driving record and car seat know-how.

Who I support

Younger children are where I most want to be, and I've worked across a wide range of ages.

Babies and toddlers

I led a classroom of 22 toddlers, wrote play-based lesson plans, and potty trained every child before they moved up to the 3-year-old room. I've also cared for infants in family homes.

School-age children

As a nanny I've cared for children through school age, including children with ADHD, anxiety, OCD, and PANS, and children with developmental disabilities.

Young adults

I support a young adult with autism in his home and community, and I gave confidential peer support to college students from many backgrounds.

Speaking English and Russian natively and American Sign Language proficiently helps me connect with a wider range of families.

How I work

Calm, consistent, and always alongside the grown-ups who know the child best.

  1. I get to know the child and the family: temperament, developmental stage, and what already helps.
  2. I build trust and steady routines, so the child knows what to expect.
  3. I coach feelings and coping skills in the moment, and adjust as I learn what works.
  4. I share what I notice with parents and the care team, and write it down.

Where I am in my training

I'm a graduate student, not yet a licensed counselor, and I don't provide therapy. What I offer is warm, hands-on support for children and families, with a growing clinical foundation. My supervised clinical practicum begins in Summer 2027.

Hiring for a child-focused role? A one-page printable resume is ready to read or forward.

Where I learned it

Homes, a preschool classroom, a university campus, and community settings. Families and clients are never named.

Family Support Provider, Georgia DBHDD COMP waiver

In-home and community support for a young adult with autism, following an individual service plan funded by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. I help build daily living skills and support safety, emotional regulation, and getting out into the community.

I use crisis intervention techniques to keep everyone safe when it's needed, and I drive to doctor's and therapy appointments following a car safety plan built with the family.

Role
Family Support Provider, part-time
Through
Acumen Fiscal Agent
Since
June 2025

Professional nanny and family assistant

I care for infants through school-age children in private Atlanta homes, usually several siblings at once, including children with developmental disabilities. I adapt my care for children with ADHD, anxiety, OCD, and PANS, encourage occupational therapy and parent-led play therapy, and help families find support in their area.

Parents and I check in daily about milestones, behavior, and feelings, and plan next steps together. I also manage schedules and driving, including car seat safety and installation.

Ages
Infants through school age
Setting
Private family homes
Since
2019

Lead preschool teacher

I led a class of 22 toddlers at Children's Academy of Hickory Flat, writing play-based lesson plans for language, social-emotional growth, and independence. Every child was potty trained before moving up to the 3-year-old room.

I talked with parents daily about their child's development, shared concerns gently, and referred several families to Babies Can't Wait for hearing, speech, and sensory concerns. I kept daily logs of meals, diaper changes, milestones, behavior, and incidents, and took daily photos of each child and class events.

Class
22 toddlers
Where
Canton, Georgia
When
March 2021 to January 2022

Peer counselor, Kennesaw State University

I gave confidential support to students from many backgrounds and wrote SOAP notes under strict privacy rules. When a concern was beyond peer support, I referred students to campus clinics, addiction services, and group sessions.

I worked closely with the university's Vice President of Student Affairs on campus mental health initiatives.

Role
Peer counselor
When
June 2024 to May 2025

Undergraduate research assistant, Developmental Research Collective

I observed and recorded children's behavior across six developmental psychology studies, handled informed consent and private data, built surveys in Qualtrics, and analyzed results in SPSS.

I presented posters and talks at more than five regional and national conferences, including SEPA, APS, GURP, Kennesaw State's Symposium of Student Scholars, and Analytics Day.

Studies
Six
Conferences
More than five
When
August 2023 to May 2025

Also

  • Undergraduate teaching assistant, Kennesaw State Department of Psychology, January 2023 to May 2025.
  • Substitute teacher across grade levels, Cherokee County School District, 2024 to 2025.
  • President of the American Association of University Women campus chapter, 2023 to 2025.
  • Marketing officer for Psi Chi, the international honor society in psychology, and member of the Psychology Student Advisory Board.

Research

Two years in Kennesaw State's Developmental Research Collective, studying how children and families think, grow, and form.

Projects I worked on

  • Adoptonomics, presented at several conferences
  • Choosing to Adopt During Infertility Treatment, manuscript in progress
  • Roots of Acceptance
  • The COVID-19 Self-Concept Project, presented at a conference
  • How Children Rationalize Lies
  • "The Real GPA: Good People Around", a presentation

I recruited participants and ran informed consent, observed and coded children's behavior, built surveys in Qualtrics, cleaned and analyzed data in SPSS, and helped write manuscripts and conference submissions.

Where I've presented

  • Southeastern Psychological Association (SEPA)
  • Association for Psychological Science (APS)
  • Georgia Undergraduate Research in Psychology (GURP)
  • KSU Symposium of Student Scholars
  • KSU Analytics Day

Tools

  • SPSS
  • SAS
  • R
  • Python
  • Qualtrics

Education and training

A psychology degree, a master's in progress, and practical certifications for the moments that matter.

Education

  1. In progressM.S., Clinical Counseling Psychology, Brenau University. Play Therapy Specialization. Practicum begins Summer 2027.
  2. CompletedB.S., Psychology, cum laude, Kennesaw State University. Double minor in Biology and Data Science & Analytics. Major GPA 3.80.

Certifications and specialized training

  • NASPA Certified Peer Counselor
  • Kognito Mental Health Simulation
  • Mental Health First Aid
  • QPR Suicide Prevention
  • Naloxone & Opioid Overdose Response
  • CPR / First Aid
  • JED Campus Mental Health
  • Be There Certification (Born This Way)
  • FERPA Training

Who I am

Quiet, steady, and glad to be in the room.

I'm Nikki Wendt. I live in Atlanta and have spent the last several years working alongside children and families in their homes, in a preschool classroom, in schools, and in community settings.

I'm in my master's program in Clinical Counseling Psychology at Brenau University, specializing in play therapy. My long-term goal is trauma-focused play therapy with young children.

My approach is simple: stay calm and consistent, listen first, and treat parents as partners.

LinkedIn Printable resume

  1. 2019 to nowProfessional nanny and family assistant in private Atlanta homes.
  2. 2021 to 2022Lead preschool teacher for a class of 22 toddlers.
  3. 2023 to 2025Research, teaching, and peer counseling at Kennesaw State University.
  4. June 2025 to nowFamily Support Provider through the Georgia DBHDD COMP waiver.
  5. Summer 2027Supervised clinical practicum begins at Brenau University.

Say hello

If you work with children and families and think we might be a good fit, I'd love to hear from you.

Email Nikki Printable resume

nikkiw1401@gmail.com

Name
Nicole "Nikki" Wendt
Based in
Atlanta, Georgia
Degree in progress
M.S. Clinical Counseling Psychology
Specialization
Play Therapy
Practicum
Begins Summer 2027
Languages
English, Russian, ASL
Driving record
Clean
Work eligibility
Authorized to work in the U.S.