Intellectually Entertaining. Socially Relevant.
Nick Baez, M.S. is a native of New York, New York (Lower East Side) and currently resides in Kansas City, Missouri. Throughout his academic and professional career, he has been a scholar in the fields of psychotherapy, anger and aggression research, trauma, youth leadership initiatives, and teaching. Committed to sound research and program development, Nick has been instrumental in tailoring programs to fit the needs of various communities, and subsequently evaluating those programs to ensure that they meet goals and standards. Most recently, Nick was the Mental Health therapist at Centennial High School in Fort Collins, CO. He has been a psychotherapist for 7 years, and specializes in adolescent populations. He has worked extensively with the National Hispanic Institute for 15 years, serving initially as a junior volunteer and currently as a senior staff member and senior alumnus. Through his work with the National Hispanic Institute, Nick has worked closely with thousands of high school students in helping develop initiatives to prepare them for leadership in the 21st century. Nick has conducted peer-reviewed research on risky behavior, anger, anger expression, and aggression, and has been previously recognized for his work by the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association. Nick has also done research on psychological trauma and its effects on cognition and interpersonal relationships. He has been invited on numerous occasions to give special lectures on trauma, co-dependency, ethnic identity, and social conflict.
A cum laude graduate of the College of Natural Sciences at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO, Nick holds a degree in Psychology. He additionally holds a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University, and is currently a doctoral candidate there.
In a talk that followed the publishing of his 2010 book, The Empathic Civilization: A Race to Global Consciousness in a World Crisis, economist Jeremy Rifkin challenged individuals to examine their place in a global society that has become increasingly obsessed with individualistic attainment versus global prosperity. A rather poignant part of the talk was turned… [Continue Reading]
We are in the last days of the time of year that can strike fear into the hearts of even the most rugged individual. It’s tax time! ‘Tis the season for frustration, moaning and gnashing of teeth. And it is as inevitable as a sunrise that a cursory search of Facebook statuses will yield a… [Continue Reading]
Unless you have been living under a rock, almost all of you who are reading this article are familiar with the recent killing of young Trayvon Martin at the hands of a delusional vigilante. What I find almost equally disturbing is the reactions that some have had to this incident. While most are correct to… [Continue Reading]
I recall a recent debate I was having with a friend of mine on an educational issue. I proceeded to inform him of the copious amounts of data that did not support his assertions. He then began his counterargument with, “Well, regardless of the facts…” Sigh. Many of you may wonder why it is, for… [Continue Reading]
We human beings are interesting creatures. We view the world through various social lenses, and use that information to make interpretations about everything that surrounds us. During times of desperation or uncertainty, however, those social lenses are distorted by fear and a desire to quickly identify a source of such distress, aided by those who… [Continue Reading]
With Valentine’s Day in our rear-view mirror, we are left with the memories of nice surprises, romantic dinners, and quality time spent with the person with whom you hope to (or already) spend the rest of your life. However, for a significant number of you who read this article today, these hopes would have not… [Continue Reading]
Clichés abound these days. We hear the same platitudes being shouted from the rooftops, even amongst those within our community. “Just work harder!” “If I can do it, so can you!” “Stop expecting handouts!” Yes, Latinos seem to be quite fond of the whole “hard work equals success” mantra. As a result, from among many… [Continue Reading]
During my work with Latino youth, I am proud to say that I have witnessed an exponential rise in the number of intellectually superior, upwardly mobile Latinas. More and more of our community’s women are graduating from college, receiving advanced degrees, and pursuing professional roles in the fabric of society. In spite of this, as… [Continue Reading]
Some of you may recall an alarming study conducted a little over a year ago by the Pew Hispanic Center, in which Latinos were asked a simple question: “name the person who you consider to be the most important Latino leader in the country today.” A whopping 64 percent of respondents answered “I don’t know.”… [Continue Reading]
The prevalence of mental illness has risen over the years, primarily because our diagnostic tools have greatly improved, and our scientific understanding of mental illness has grown exponentially. However, when a close family member is the person afflicted with mental illness, our method of helping the person is often clouded by our great desire to… [Continue Reading]