Serene Thin Elk, LPC-MH, LAC, is a Lakota/Dakota clinical addiction and mental health therapist, mother of four, and member of the Ihanktonwan and Sicangu Oyate (Yankton Sioux Tribe) in South Dakota. She is the Community Programs Director with South Dakota Urban Indian Health and seeks to integrate culture and spirituality into community-based healing models.

With a Master’s in Expressive Therapies from Lesley University (2008), Serene specializes in trauma-informed care, culturally focused counseling, and art therapy.

Centering the belief that healing begins within the individual and extends to families and communities, Serene is dedicated to promoting healing, education, and empowerment, with an emphasis on how historical trauma continues to impact Native communities today.