Guerda Nicolas

Dr. Guerda Nicolas, Ph.D.

Founder, Rebati Sante Mantale | Professor, University of Miami | Licensed Psychologist

Dr. Guerda Nicolas is an internationally recognized psychologist, educator, and community leader dedicated to advancing culturally grounded approaches to mental health, healing, and human development. Born and raised in Haiti, her personal journey and professional experiences have shaped a career committed to bridging academic knowledge with community wisdom.

A licensed psychologist, Dr. Nicolas earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Boston University and completed advanced clinical training at Columbia University Medical Center and the New York State Psychiatric Institute. She currently serves as a Professor at the University of Miami, where her teaching, research, and mentorship focus on culturally responsive mental health practices and community-engaged scholarship.

For more than two decades, Dr. Nicolas has worked alongside immigrant, Black, and historically marginalized communities to develop approaches to healing that honor culture, identity, spirituality, family, and collective resilience. Her scholarship explores topics including mental health equity, immigrant and refugee well-being, social support networks, spirituality, racial and ethnic identity, and community healing practices.

As the founder of Rebati Sante Mantale (Rebuilding Mental Health), she has become a leading voice in promoting culturally affirming mental health services within Haitian and Caribbean communities. Her work challenges traditional models of care by centering the strengths, wisdom, and lived experiences of the communities she serves.

Dr. Nicolas is the author and editor of numerous books, journal articles, and book chapters, and has presented her work throughout the United States, the Caribbean, Africa, Europe, and Latin America. Through the Rebati University Series, she brings together research, practice, culture, and community to create learning experiences that are both academically rigorous and deeply relevant to real-world healing and transformation.