Nicole Johnson is a full time Professor in the Social Service Worker (SSW) Program and the Honours Bachelor of Social and Community Development. She has been teaching at Sheridan for 17 years.  Nicole has held various additional roles including SSW Program Coordinator and Peer Mentor Program Supervisor.  Nicole's commitment to student engagement can be seen through her initiation of the Social Justice and Action Committee (SJAC), the Student Advisory Council (SAC) and the Wellness Strategies Working Group (WSWG).  Nicole partnered with students and faculty to create the Positive Space Working Group which led to the formation of Sheridan's first Gender and Sexual Diversity Taskforce.  Nicole's engagement with students led to several Sheridan events including, the Kindness Campaign, Mental Health Forum, Suicide Awareness Conference, Syrian Newcomers and Settlement Forum, TransInforming Peel Conference, Human Trafficking Conference and Take Back The Night.  Nicole also partnered with Community Living Oakville on the Campus Connections Project.  Nicole was a member of Sheridan's Sexual Violence Taskforce.

Nicole brings 20+ years of experience in the social service worker field, holding both front line and management positions.  Her area of expertise is in the area of trauma/violence against women and children, including working with women who have experienced woman abuse, sexual violence, child abuse and sexual harassment.  Nicole has held various positions at two Sexual Assault/Rape Crisis Centres in Ontario, including as a Counsellor, Public Educator, and Volunteer Program/Crisis Line Manager and as an Executive Director.  In New York City, Nicole held the position of Clinical Coordinator for a national victim services organization, where she managed a team of 100 crisis counsellors managing four 24 crisis hotlines and led the first response to victims/families impacted by the September 11th terrorist attack.  Nicole has also led several community development initiatives and held the Community Coordinator position with the Peel Committee Against Woman Abuse working with a collaborative of over 40 social service agencies in the Region of Peel.

Nicole’s formal education includes a Psychology/Sociology Degree, a Diploma in Assaulted Women and Children’s Counselling Advocacy and a Master’s in Education. She is a certified trainer in Non Violent Physical Crisis Intervention (CPI) through the International CPI Institute, a Compassion Fatigue Specialist and is trained in Masters level REIKI. 

Nicole was a Board Member at Embrave women's shelter for 6 years, where she held the position of Vice President on the Board of Directors. She was also a Peer Facilitator at the Centre for Grief and Loss.

Nicole is the Founder of the Trauma Informed Educator's Ontario Network and is a Trauma Informed Education Consultant.

Nicole’s teaching style is guided by several social work and adult education theories and techniques, incorporating an Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression, Trauma Informed Practice, strength based model and student centric framework. She is passionate about working alongside her students to help them enhance their helping skills and advocacy skills to be change agents in their own communities.