Dr. Ebony T. Nichols LPC, LCAT, BC-DMT
Dr. Ebony is a somatic mental health and wellness practitioner, Licensed Professional Counselor, Board Certified Dance/Movement Psychotherapist, Licensed Creative Arts Therapist, Licensed cosmetologist, and entrepreneur. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology at The College of New Rochelle, master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Dance/Movement Therapy at Lesley University, and doctorate at Lesley University's Counseling and Psychology: Transformative Leadership, Education, and Applied Research program. Her research and work are rooted in cultural/race identity and trauma-informed healing care, centering Black Aesthetics of the African Diaspora through cultural movement narratives, non-verbal communication, and somatic-based liberatory practices.
Ebony has been the proprietor of Locks of Nu Natural Hair Spa since 2003. Utilizing the mission of "Healing the Community Follicle by Follicle," her primary focus was to create a therapeutic environment within the Black African American community; this was her genesis for connecting artistic/cultural aesthetic expression, self-care, and psychology. Trained in ballet and modern dance, Ebony found her love for the freedom of movement in the NYC house dance community. In 2005, she co-founded Afro Mosaic Soul Dance Collective, using social dance and music to facilitate emotional healing and expression.
Ebony has experience in partial hospitalization/inpatient psychiatry and mental health care facilities, working with individuals who present with psychotic and behavioral health concerns and with individuals who are developmentally diverse and experience physical, emotional, and sensory challenges. She has also worked with a non-profit organization in partnership with New York City public schools to develop social-emotional empowerment from an anti-oppressive, strength-based lens. Ebony's international experience includes West Africa, Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Nicaragua, utilizing various expressive art therapy techniques toward personal/communal healing while exploring the dynamics of underrepresented communities.
Ebony was the 2023 Multicultural and Diversity Committee Chair for the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA), and her research has catalyzed shifts in the curriculum of dance/movement therapy education toward a more anti-oppressive and equitable pedagogy. She has co-presented her research, Moving Blind Spots: Cultural Bias in the Movement Repertoire of Dance/Movement Therapists, ADTA Annual Conference (2018) and co-facilitated the ADTA’s 2019 Plenary, Honoring Multiplicity: An Embodied Keynote Experience. Ebony was awarded the honor of the "Leader of Tomorrow Award" (2019) and "The Innovation Award" (2021) for her research in the Africanist Aesthetic in Psychotherapeutic Movement Observation by the organization. In addition to the American Dance Therapy Association, Ebony is a charter member and treasurer of the Black Moving Affinity Group in the Community Association (Black MAGIC Association), a non-profit organization founded in 2023 to strengthen the lives and work of Black dance/movement therapists (DMT) and students. She is also a professional member of The Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi) and The American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA).
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