Influential Woman · Healthcare and healing
Nicole Donahoo, LMT, LMFTA
Licensed marriage and family therapist associate, SeaGate Therapy
Seattle, WA 98115
Her Story
About Nicole
Nicole Donahoo is a licensed massage therapist and LMFTA whose career in healthcare and healing spans more than a decade. Her work blends the physical and the energetic, encompassing prenatal and chiropractic massage, Reiki, and the facilitation of meditation groups designed to help clients release both bodily tension and deeper emotional blocks. Prompted by her own personal journey, she returned to school in 2020 to broaden her scope of practice, eventually earning a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling from Northcentral University. Today, she is working to merge her therapeutic and counseling backgrounds into a single, integrative practice built around trauma recovery and self-empowerment.
Beyond the treatment room, Donahoo describes herself as an artist, writer, dancer, model, and creator, and she has cultivated a growing online presence aimed at helping others make confident decisions about their lives and pursue their ambitions. She is an active participant in the Seattle dance community, including with the group Selectro, and her academic achievements include Dean's List recognition. Her professional philosophy is rooted in humanitarian values and a commitment to equality, and she is candid about the challenges she sees in her field — from systemic barriers facing women to the widespread impact of trauma and violence — framing them as opportunities to reshape how people relate to and support one another.
Donahoo's guiding belief is that meaningful change comes from listening and extending compassion, and she hopes her combined expertise in bodywork and counseling can help others build resilience and reclaim their sense of self. She credits her own progress to determination, curiosity, and a steady commitment to kindness, and she encourages the next generation of women entering her field to trust their instincts, speak up, and feel free to change course when a new path calls to them. In recognition of this work, she has been selected for inclusion in Influential Women 2026.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Nicole
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to determination and self-belief, paired with a genuine willingness to keep learning. I try to treat everyone with kindness and respect, to reach out to those in need, and to make a positive difference one day at a time.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I've received is to stay resilient no matter what and to remain present in each moment. I try not to let small setbacks affect me, and I surround myself with positivity, knowing it will come back to me. Above all, I aim to lead by example.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I'd encourage young women to stay true to themselves and never let others intimidate them into silence — their voice matters and deserves to be heard. It's also okay to pivot and change direction along the way; what matters most is that you keep moving forward.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
As an artist, writer, dancer, model, and creator who is also fully versed in therapeutic healing, I see the biggest challenges in my field as the systemic oppression of women and the feminine voice, along with the lasting effects of trauma, violence, sexual assault, and interrelational harm. The opportunity lies in shifting how we socialize and view one another, using integrated body-based and mental-health approaches to improve coping skills and empower people to change how they engage with others and with the systems around them.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I value giving my best effort every day, staying detail-oriented, and remaining open to learning from others through continuing education. Time management and being a good listener are equally important to me, as are clear communication, humanitarian principles, feminism and equality, and the freedom of self-expression.
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