Nikki DuBose is an American model and the founder of Live ED Free, an EDIT™Certified Eating Disorder Recovery Coaching Service specializing in helping pre-teens, teens, and adults. She is a Psy.D. student in Clinical Psychology at Meridian University and holds a B.A. in psychology from California Southern University with honors. She received her training as an Eating Disorder Recovery Coach Specialist through the EDIT ™ Certified Program under Dr. Dorie McCubbrey, PhD, MSEd, LPC, LAC, CEDS .

Nikki is best known for her memoir, Washed Away: From Darkness to Light (2016), about her recovery from a 17 year battle with eating disorders, depression, and sexual abuse. The book also highlighted her achievements and troubles in the high stakes world of the fashion industry. Due to the success of Washed Away, the book was translated into French with publishing house Editions Du Rocher in 2017, titled Dans L’enfer Du Mannequinat: Une Industrie Qui Detruit. 

She has been interviewed over one hundred times on various media outlets on topics ranging from body image, eating disorders, politics, addiction, and recovery. Some of her features have included The Doctors, People, Vogue UK, Investigation Discovery, the TD Jakes Show, Fox 11, CBS Los Angeles, and the Oprah Winfrey Network. Nikki has been an ambassador for several charities, particularly those involving education on child sexual abuse prevention.

In 2016, Nikki worked to help pass legislation in California and New York for the modeling industry and victims of child sexual abuse. She has spoken regularly on mental health at universities and treatment centers, and been a guest writer for publications like The Huffington Post and New York Daily News. Her mental health training has allowed her to collaborate with Harvard University’s STRIPED program (Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders), helping craft their student lesson and teaching lesson for the Fall 2016 semester which focused on modeling and eating disorders.