Our Story
Co-Pilot Counseling, LLC began in 2003 when Nicki Sherman set out to meet the need for quality mental health counseling close to home in Oak Harbor and surrounding communities. Managing family schedules often involves maintaining multiple home, school, and work schedules; kids participating in sports or arts activities; and squeezing in “quality time” together. Therefore, when the need arises, finding a quality, experienced counselor for you and/or your child tends to remain last on the list of many, many things to do. This results in important needs being unmet. To counteract this, all our counselors offer evening appointments at least once a week.
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Co-Pilot strives to focus on demographics that are oftentimes underserved. Nicki's long time focus has been toward strengthening couple’s relationships and helping teenagers through those turbulent years of developing independence. Another overlooked service is facilitating the clients' use of insurance. Co-Pilot files insurance claims because we value the working individual's need to utilize their medical insurance which decreases the financial obligation of obtaining quality counseling.
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Over the past 12 years, Co-Pilot Counseling has become a place for Master’s level counseling interns to put their clinical skills to work. Under Nicki’s careful supervision, each intern applies classroom knowledge, develops personal counseling style, and reinforces ethical mandates. The incorporation of college students into Co-Pilot allows practitioners to expand their perspectives while Co-Pilot continues to expand our services.
We are here for you
Meet The Team
Nicola Sherman
MA, LPCC-S, LICDC-CS
Nicola Sherman (Nicki) is a 1996 graduate of BGSU and is independently licensed in both clinical and addiction counseling. Nicki is honored to have served the Oak Harbor area residents for 27 years including 20 years as founder & clinical director of Co-Pilot Counseling, LLC.
Nicki utilizes cognitive behavioral therapy and trauma informed care to support teens, adults, and couples in their personal growth. She believes that an increased understanding of automatic cognitive and behavioral patterns while utilizing simple holistic, mindful techniques can bring decreased symptoms of anxiety, depression, grief, and addiction leading to healthier coping skills & happier relationships.
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Professionally, Nicki loves to influence the next generation of counselors. She supervises, challenges, & mentors each masters level intern, strengthening clinical skills and providing cutting edge treatment.
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Personally, Nicki and her husband live in the Oak Harbor area where they raised their three adult children. She enjoys gardening, cross stitching, kayaking, scrapbooking, and fishing on lake Erie.
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Elena Kirkbride
B.A. in Psychology, MAC, LPC
Elena Kirkbride received her Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling from Bowling Green State University where she also graduated with a Bachelor's in Psychology. During her time as a graduate student, she had the privilege of working with children in Toledo to aid them with various needs and concerns. By utilizing an array of interventions, Elena encourages her clients to recognize the strength that they carry within them and how to harness that strength to cope with life's challenges. Elena recognizes that we all come to counseling with our own set of values, beliefs, and experiences and it is important to take these aspects into consideration when counseling. She counsels using a culturally competent lens that acknowledges and celebrates the differences that make us all special and unique.
In her personal life, Elena enjoys spending time with her friends, challenging herself in the gym, finding new restaurants to enjoy with her fiance, and relishing in all things outdoors.
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Michael Rizzi
B.A. in Psychology, MAC, LPC
Michael Rizzi (Rizzi) received his Master's of Arts in Counseling degree from Heidelberg University where he also graduated with a bachelors in Psychology.
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As a full-time counselor at Co-Pilot, Michael assists people achieve their highest potential and allow anybody and everybody the space to be heard and be recognized as an individual.
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Rizzi enjoys golf, video gaming, creating podcasts, at-home cinema, and spending time together with his friends, family, and dogs. He intends on one day managing his own private practice as well as a business in property management.
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A message from Michael:
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"Believe you can and you're halfway there."
- Theodore Roosevelt
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Kirsty Sayer
Intern
Kirsty is an intern at Co-Pilot, currently attending school at Northwestern University.
Kirsty Sayer is native to South Africa, currently living in Ohio. She is mother of five with a background empowering individuals and teams in reaching their goals. Past career work has included being a personal trainer, birth doula, motivational speaker, writer and blogger. As a clinical counselor intern, she skillfully empowers individuals to overcome limiting thoughts and self sabotaging habits and behaviors. Kirsty focus of attention is to help people unlock their inner strengths and resilience. Kirsty believes everyone has the potential to create a clear vision for the fulfillment of one's own potential. She leads with the honesty, empathy and insight of one who has worked through personal trauma and found a life of great abundance and joy on the other side.
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Kirsty feels that for growth, one must move past the static and comfortable. She believes people should venture just a little into the scary to unlock your potential.
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CPC Office Manager
Meegan Kaiser is the one who keeps our Co-Pilot team on the straight and narrow.
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Meegan is an entrepreneur and community oriented individual who, before her transition into Co-Pilot Counseling, operated her own educational child care business for 8 years. She has always believed that everyone, no matter their age, deserves somewhere comfortable and inviting to grow, develop character traits, and explore a variety of skills.
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Meegan believes that communication is key for success when seeking counseling. During office hours she is ready to accept phone calls and emails, to answer questions, setup a first-time sessions, or help you get in touch with your counselor.
Meegan currently resides in Oak Harbor and is married with three children, two dogs, two cats, and two chickens. She enjoys warm weather, reading, playing golf, crochet, and baking.
