Nikkia Young, PhD (she/ her) is an educator, consultant and licensed psychologist who brings embodied playfulness, a grounded sense of purpose, and fierce grace to her work. Currently, Nikkia both supports service-mission organizations with high charge, high conflict, and high stakes challenges, and serves as the Director of Counseling at The Bay School in San Francisco. She completed her International Development Studies BA at UC Berkeley, her PhD at the California School of Professional Psychology, and pre/postdoc at UCSF’s Infant-Parent Program.

Nikkia’s early career experiences as a gymnastics & martial arts instructor—turned preschool & Kindergarten—taught her to improvise and listen; move and play; and, keep her heart open during conflict. Her work integrates science, play, storytelling, and original lo-fi illustrations to address the heart, soul, and science of the shift toward healing justice—honoring its weight and complexity without weighing us down.