Margaret Nichols
Encyclopedia
Margaret E. Nichols is an American
psychologist
and sex therapist who specializes in sexual minorities and people with HIV
. Nichols was an early advocate for people with HIV/AIDS in the United States
, with a focus on developing care protocols in suburban communities.
, Nichols received her Ph.D. from Columbia University
in 1981 and completed her postdoctoral sex therapy certification at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
. Nichols founded the Institute for Personal Growth (IPG) in 1983.
In 1985 she and IPG staff created a non-profit that became the Hyacinth AIDS Foundation, the first and largest AIDS
service organization in New Jersey. Nichols served as the first Director of the Hyacinth AIDS Foundation from 1986 to 1988.
Nichols also helped create the Women's Center of Monmouth County, NJ, one of the state’s first battered women's shelters. She is a member of the American Psychological Association
and the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists.
Much of Nichols' published work focuses on women, specifically in the lesbian
, bisexual and BDSM
communities.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
psychologist
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
and sex therapist who specializes in sexual minorities and people with HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
. Nichols was an early advocate for people with HIV/AIDS in the United States
HIV/AIDS in the United States
[[File:New HIV Cases 22 States 2006 CDC.svg|thumb|300px|Estimated Number of New HIV Cases—22 States 2006...
, with a focus on developing care protocols in suburban communities.
Life and career
After teaching at The New SchoolThe New School
The New School is a university in New York City, located mostly in Greenwich Village. From its founding in 1919 by progressive New York academics, and for most of its history, the university was known as the New School for Social Research. Between 1997 and 2005 it was known as New School University...
, Nichols received her Ph.D. from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1981 and completed her postdoctoral sex therapy certification at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School is a public medical school located in Piscataway and New Brunswick, New Jersey, and one of the eight schools of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey . In cooperation with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, the medical school’s principal...
. Nichols founded the Institute for Personal Growth (IPG) in 1983.
In 1985 she and IPG staff created a non-profit that became the Hyacinth AIDS Foundation, the first and largest AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
service organization in New Jersey. Nichols served as the first Director of the Hyacinth AIDS Foundation from 1986 to 1988.
Nichols also helped create the Women's Center of Monmouth County, NJ, one of the state’s first battered women's shelters. She is a member of the American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States. It is the world's largest association of psychologists with around 154,000 members including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. The APA...
and the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists.
Much of Nichols' published work focuses on women, specifically in the lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, bisexual and BDSM
BDSM
BDSM is an erotic preference and a form of sexual expression involving the consensual use of restraint, intense sensory stimulation, and fantasy power role-play. The compound acronym BDSM is derived from the terms bondage and discipline , dominance and submission , and sadism and masochism...
communities.