Lakota Summer is a Black Haitian American and Native American mental health practitioner, educator, dancer, and activist whose life’s work sits at the intersection of embodied healing, social emotional learning, and community care. A Brooklyn-based mother of two adult children, she brings more than 40 years of dance experience and over two decades of work in education and mental health to every space she enters.

As a movement practitioner and founder of The Embodied Mind Therapy Collective, Lakota’s philosophy is rooted in a simple but profound truth: the body remembers, and the body can heal. Her trauma‑informed approach integrates movement, mindfulness, and the five core competencies of Social Emotional Learning to help clients reconnect with themselves, regulate their nervous systems, and cultivate resilience. Her work reflects a deep belief that stress, trauma, and emotional health live in the body—and that healing must be felt, not just spoken.

Lakota’s commitment to young people and families extends beyond her private practice. She serves on the Board of Directors of Brooklyn Children’s Theatre, where she champions arts accessibility, youth empowerment, and community storytelling. A lifelong dancer and proud member of the National Dance Educators Organization and the National Honor Society for Dance Arts, she continues to advocate for the transformative power of movement in both educational and therapeutic settings.

Her professional journey includes over 20 years as an educator, school leader, and student support specialist, where she has consistently centered equity, wellness, and culturally responsive care. As an activist, she amplifies conversations around mental health in Black and Indigenous communities, advocating for embodied practices that honor ancestral knowledge and lived experience.

Creative at her core, Lakota is also the founder of Lakota Moon Body & Brew, an all‑natural body care line and teas, and is a contributing writer, executive producer, and development specialist with Iron Metropolis Films. Whether in the studio, the classroom, the therapy room, or the community, she moves with intention and lives in authenticity—guiding others to do the same.