Dr. Lastenia Francis, PhD, LMFT, is a licensed marriage and family therapist and core faculty member in the Couple and Family Therapy program at Antioch University Seattle. With a deep commitment to equity and inclusion, she specializes in providing culturally responsive therapy to individuals, couples, and families within communities of color. Her clinical expertise focuses on addressing relationship challenges, fostering identity development, and healing trauma, with a dedicated emphasis on supporting veteran families and families of color through culturally attuned interventions.
As an AAMFT-approved supervisor, Dr. Francis offers mentorship and clinical supervision to clinicians of color, guiding them in building their professional identities and clinical practices. She emphasizes honoring cultural heritage and aligning professional work with personal authenticity, helping clinicians create practices that reflect congruency between their values and their therapeutic approach.
- PhD, Marriage and Family Therapy, Northcentral University
- M.S., Marriage and Family Therapy, Mercy College
- BA, Psychology & Sociology, Stony Brook University
As an educator, Dr. Francis fosters a supportive and inclusive learning environment where students develop clinical competence and self-awareness. Integrating systemic theories with practical application, she emphasizes the importance of critical thinking, cultural humility, and the Person of the Therapist model in clinical training.
Research interests include:
• Investigations to understand the bi-directional process of supervision.
• Examinations of clinical approaches to addressing intergenerational transmission of trauma when treating Black couples in therapy.
• Analyses of the systemic approach to self-care in communities of color.
• Exploration of the marital satisfaction and financial responsibilities among Black couples.
- Francis, L. A. (2021). The Experience of Reintegration for the Black Veteran and Their Family: A Grounded Theory (Order No. 28322668). Available from ProQuest Central; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2582132901). https://libezproxy.syr.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/experience-reintegration-black-veteran-their/docview/2582132901/se-2
- Parks, S., Francis, L., & Robinson-Ellis, J. (in review). Navigating identities: The impact of codeswitching on graduate counseling education and clinical identity development. Journal of Family Theory & Review.
- Francis, L. (in review). Bidirectional clinical supervision through an intersectional lens: A framework for supporting Black clinicians. Journal of Family Theory & Review.
- Francis, L. (June 2023). Systemic Applications for Trauma-Related Personality Disorders, Ackerman Institute, New York, NY
- Francis, L. (October 2022). Strengthening Black Veteran Families during Reintegration, Ackerman Institute, New York, NY
- Francis, L. (September 2021). Strengthening Black Families: Addressing Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma, Ackerman Institute, New York, NY
- Faculty Advisor for Delta Kappa Honors Society, Zeta Chapter
- Faculty Advisor for Clinicians of Color Student Group
- Research mentor
- AAMFT Approved Supervisor
- Former Director of Clinical Placement and Lecturer at Mercy College's Marriage and Family Therapy Department (2019-2021)
- American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT)
- American Family Therapy Academy (AFTA)
- Delta Kappa Honors Society
- COUN 6002: Case Consultation
- COUN 5030: Family of Origin
- COUN 5040: Multicultural Perspectives
- COUN 5050: Systems Perspectives
- COUN 5061: Beginning Clinical Skills for Couple and Family Therapy
- COUN 5815: Applied Family Therapy II (Family Therapy with Adolescents)
- COUN 5800: Applied Couples Therapy
- COUN 5810: Applied Family Therapy I (Children & Parenting)
- COUN 5900: ST Abuse, Diagnosis & Trauma
- COUN 5900: ST Clinical Work with Black Families.