Chris Sanchez Lascurain, LCSW

About Me

I'm a somatic therapist trained in AEDP under Dr. Diana Fosha's direct lineage, and that training changed how I think about healing entirely. Talk alone wasn't enough. The body, the nervous system, and where you come from all have to be in the room too.

I've always loved how Picasso could take something whole, a face, a body, a moment, and break it apart into pieces that somehow told the truth more honestly than a straight likeness ever could. That's close to how I think about the work we do together. Your pain doesn't always make sense in a straight line. Sometimes it shows up sideways, in the body, in fragments, and healing means learning to look at all the pieces at once instead of forcing them into one tidy picture.

A Somatic Approach to Mental Health

Most of us were never taught to notice where stress, fear, or grief actually live in the body, so we live in our heads instead and wonder why nothing changes. I work differently. We slow down enough to notice what's happening underneath the thoughts, in your breath, your shoulders, your gut, and we work with that directly. I draw on polyvagal theory and AEDP alongside Choctaw and Chickasaw ancestral healing traditions and Curanderismo, because in those traditions, the body, the spirit, and the people who came before you were never separate to begin with.

Expertise and Training

I hold an MSW from USC with a specialization in Children and Family Mental Health, and I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW #100908). My training includes AEDP under Diana Fosha's lineage, Safe and Sound Protocol, HeartMath clinical certification, Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy, and somatic attachment therapy, alongside trauma-focused CBT and mindfulness-based approaches. I'm always adding to this, but the core of my work stays the same: the body knows things the mind hasn't caught up to yet.

Client-Centered, Body-Informed Care

No two clients get the same plan from me. We build it around what you actually need, blending somatic awareness, nervous system work, and your own cultural and personal history. The goal isn't just symptom relief, it's helping you communicate what you need, regulate what used to run you, and let go of patterns that stopped serving you a long time ago.

What Clients Say

Clients often tell me they feel truly seen here, not just heard. They describe the work as creative and deeply relational, somewhere they can finally connect what's happening in their body to what's happening in their life. What comes up again and again is trust, built fast, and a sense of real, lasting change instead of just feeling better for a week.

Training and Education

Licensed Clinical Social Worker #100908

Degrees

• Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies, Minor Child Development

• Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work, Concentration Children and Family Mental Health

Training and certifications

• Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (Level 1)

• Somatic Attachment Therapy

• Certificate in Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

• Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) Certified Therapist

• PEERS® Young Adult Certified Provider

• HearthMath Clinical Certification for Stress, Anxiety, and Self Regulation

• Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy

• MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction)

• Workplace Mindfulness Facilitator (Mindful Leader)

• NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) Practitioner

• Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

• Polyvagal Theory

• Self Determination Theory (SDT)

• Telehealth for Mental Health Professionals

• Trauma Informed Cognitive Behavioral Intervention

• Strength Based Therapy

• Motivational Interviewing

• MAPS Goal Planning

• Person-Centered Therapy

• Problem Solving Therapy

“Christopher provides much needed support to youth in ways that are relatable, relevant and clinically sound.”

Rosanna Azanza, LCSW-Lead Clinical Supervisor-Didi Hirsch Mental Health

“Chris has a great balance of creativity and professionalism in his approach to working with youth. He developed solid relationships with program participants and their families, and was a pleasure to work with as part of a larger team of mental health and social service professionals in the community.”

Shuli Lotan, LCSW- Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Mental Health Counseling Coordinator

“Chris was quick to build rapport with my son. He was so creative and fun in the ways that he taught him coping skills and how to identify his frustrations. Mentor Chris modeled for me new ways to engage with my son. I went from frustrating interactions to looking forward to interacting with him.” 

Reyna K, Parent

“Mr. Christopher Sanchez Lascurain is committed to culturally-sensitive approaches to mental health care and constantly adapts interventions to client strengths and needs, fostering positive well-being and development.”

Kean Flowers, MSW Intern, PPSC,