Ebony Nichols on dance in community, Africanist aesthetic in movement, and showing up in a way that honors the ancestors.

In this conversation, I am speaking with Ebony Nichols.  Ebony is a somatic mental health and wellness practitioner, Board Certified Dance/Movement Psychotherapist, Licensed Creative Arts Therapist, licensed cosmetologist, and entrepreneur. She completed her Bachelor of Arts at The College of New Rochelle in psychology and a Masters degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Dance/Movement Therapy. She was awarded the presidential scholarship to attend Lesley University's Doctorate program in Counseling and Psychology: Transformative Leadership, Education and Applied Research, where she plans to continue her research and work rooted in cultural/race identity, trauma-informed healing care, centering Black Aesthetics of the African Diaspora through cultural movement narratives, non-verbal communication, and somatic-based healing practices.  Ebony has been the proprietor of Locks of Nu Natural Hair Spa since 2003. Utilizing their mission of "Healing the Community Follicle by Follicle"; her primary focus was to create a therapeutic environment within the 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 as a tool for emotional healing and expression. In addition, Ebony has experience in partial hospitalization/inpatient psychiatry and mental health care facilities working with individuals who present with psychotic and behavioral health concerns, as well as 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 resiliency from an anti-oppressive strength-based lens. Ebony’s international experience includes  Ghana and Togo West Africa, Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, and Nicaragua utilizing various techniques of expressive art therapy toward personal/communal healing while exploring the dynamics of underrepresented communities. Ebony has co-presented her research, Moving Blind Spots: Cultural Bias in the Movement Repertoire of Dance/ Movement Therapists at the American Dance Therapy Association's (ADTA) Annual Conference (2018) and co-facilitated the American Dance Therapy Association's 2019 Plenary, Honoring Multiplicity: An Embodied Keynote Experience. Ebony is the Multicultural and Diversity Committee Chair Elect for the ADTA and was awarded the honor of the "Leader of Tomorrow Award" (2019) and “The Innovation Award” (2021) for her research in the Africanist Aesthetic in Movement Observation, by the organization. In addition to the American Dance Therapy Association, Ebony is also a professional member of The Association of Black Psychologist (ABPsi) and The American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA). For more information, visit her website: ayacreativewellness.com. I also want to name Tricia Hersey as the author Ebony mentiones who wrote Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto