My Writing

Books, Publications, Presentations, and Contributions

My writing reflects my commitment to understanding the complexity of human experience, including identity, masculinity, culture, spirituality, mental health, addiction recovery, healing, and personal growth.

These works are written for readers, counselors, educators, clinicians, students, and communities seeking deeper conversations about how we understand ourselves and how we show up in the world.

Books

Featured Writing

Ain't I a Man Too?

Black Men, Identity, and the Myths of Masculinity

Ain't I a Man Too? Black Men, Identity, and the Myths of Masculinity is a powerful exploration of how masculinity is shaped through culture, survival, history, and lived experience. Blending psychological insight, cultural reflection, and personal truth, Dr. Nick challenges the idea that masculinity is fixed, universal, or neutral.

This book examines the emotional, relational, and societal pressures Black men navigate while questioning inherited expectations around strength, vulnerability, identity, and connection. More than a critique, it is an invitation for Black men to reclaim masculinity on their own terms with greater awareness, intentionality, and humanity.

Through reflection, research, and the Culturally Aligned Masculinity Assessment (CAMA), Ain't I a Man Too? creates space for healing, accountability, emotional growth, and authentic self-definition.

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Grounded and Free

A Practical Guide to Recovery, Mental Health, and Building a Life You Can Stay In

Sobriety isn't just about quitting. It's about changing how you live, how you think, and who you allow into your life.

A lot of people are taught how to stop, but not how to make healthy, realistic, and meaningful changes to build a life they can stay in. They aren't taught how to deal with the thoughts, the emotions, the triggers, or the people that can pull them back into old patterns.

Grounded and Free is a practical, real-world workbook for people who are serious about their sobriety and ready to build something different.

Inside, readers learn how to understand what is driving substance use, manage anxiety, trauma, and emotional triggers, build a strong and healthy village, set boundaries that protect growth, and stay focused on who they are becoming.

Built around the Grounded Alignment Framework™, this book helps readers stay aware, take ownership, stay aligned, stay connected, and move with purpose.

You are not your past. You are building something new. Make sure it is something you can stay in.

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Faith and Healing

A Year of Gratitude, Happiness, Wellness, and Spiritual Awareness

Faith and Healing: A Year of Gratitude, Happiness, Wellness, and Spiritual Awareness was developed with a deep understanding of the multifaceted aspects of personal well-being, including financial wellness. In recognition of the significant role that finances play in overall wellness, this journal incorporates monthly, quarterly, and annual financial trackers to assist readers in setting and achieving their financial goals.

This journal and workbook is a comprehensive tool for empowering individuals to craft meaningful goals, track their progress, and reflect on a year of personal growth across various dimensions of life. With dedicated sections for journaling, readers are given flexibility in how they engage with the content, whether daily or weekly.

To encourage self-reflection and introspection, the journal includes thought-provoking prompts and spaces to document lessons learned. By serving as a compass for self-discovery, it guides individuals on a holistic path toward gratitude, happiness, wellness, and spiritual awareness.

The meditations and weekly inspirational thoughts offer a balanced approach to nurturing mental and emotional well-being. Recognizing the constraints of busy schedules, the meditative moments are designed as 5-minute meditations to help readers center themselves and reflect during daily life.

Through spiritual reflection, mindfulness practices, financial tracking, and self-discovery exercises, this journal encourages readers to engage in a year of purposeful reflection and unlock their potential for a more fulfilling and balanced life.

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Faith and Healing

Navigating Religion in Clinical Practice

Faith and Healing: Navigating Religion in Clinical Practice explores the intersection of faith, spirituality, and clinical practice. The book examines the complexities of navigating religious considerations in counseling while respecting the diverse beliefs, values, and lived experiences of clients.

Drawing on research and professional experience, the book provides a thoughtful examination of how spirituality can be integrated into therapeutic approaches while maintaining cultural sensitivity and ethical practice.

Key themes include:

Strategies for integrating faith into counseling sessions
Navigating and respecting diverse religious beliefs in therapy
Ethical considerations surrounding religion and spirituality in clinical practice
Supporting clients whose spiritual beliefs shape their healing process

In an increasingly diverse world, understanding the role of faith in healing is essential for effective and inclusive counseling. Faith and Healing offers practical insights for professionals and contributes to a more holistic approach to mental health.

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Presentations and Contributions

Scholarship, Articles, and Professional Conversations

Dr. Nick's professional work also includes scholarly contributions, conference presentations, professional articles, and advocacy-centered education. His presentations and publications address topics across counseling, mental health, masculinity, trauma, cultural competency, spirituality, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and social justice.

The Sage Encyclopedia of Multicultural Counseling, Social Justice, and Advocacy

Dr. Nick is a contributing writer to The Sage Encyclopedia of Multicultural Counseling, Social Justice, and Advocacy, where he authored the entry on Bisexuality. This contribution provides a comprehensive exploration of bisexuality, addressing diverse experiences, intersectionality, and social justice and advocacy concerns. The entry serves as a resource for educators, counselors, and professionals seeking deeper understanding of sexual diversity within multicultural counseling.

Authored Articles

Dr. Nick has contributed to the Maryland Counseling Association Newsletter through articles including:

Those Who Suffer in Silence: Male Victims of Intimate Partner Violence

This article addresses the often-overlooked issue of male victims of intimate partner violence and explores the challenges faced by men who suffer in silence.

The Importance of Cultural Awareness and Cultural Competency in Counseling

This article emphasizes the importance of cultural awareness and cultural competency in the counseling profession and highlights the need to understand diverse cultural backgrounds in order to provide effective and inclusive counseling services.

Presentations

Dr. Nick is a dynamic presenter who addresses critical counseling and mental health issues. Selected presentations include:

The Big Black Man and the Little Black Boy: A Discussion of Black Men and Toxic Masculinity
Desired but Not Desirable: The Hypersexualization of Women of Color
Transgendered Not Transparent: Advocating and Empowering Transgendered Clients
Ethics and Advocacy When Working with Homeless LGBT Clients
Testing, What's Everybody So Anxious About
The Impact of Trauma on the African American Population
Hyper-masculinity and the African American Male: Positive and Effective Ways of Confronting and Treating African American Males in Therapy

These presentations reflect Dr. Nick's commitment to advancing meaningful conversations about identity, healing, advocacy, trauma, masculinity, and culturally responsive care.