Dr. Lastenia Francis, LMFT | Meaningful Emotion

Meet Lastenia Francis, PhD, LMFT, AAMFT Approved Supervisor (she/her)

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in NY, NC, VA, VT, MA, & MD

Currently has very limited daytime-only availability for new clients (no evening or weekend sessions)
Accepts most major insurances and private pay
Also provides clinical supervision for LMFTAs & interns in NC
Actively engaged in clinical research

My Approach

Every relationship tells a story. Sometimes it’s about love and resilience, and other times it’s about silence, distance, or pain. Many people come to me when their story no longer feels sustainable. Arguments repeat, disconnection grows, or old wounds keep affecting the present. My role is to join you in your story—not to judge or tell you what to do, but to help you slow down, see things more clearly, and start writing the next chapter with purpose.

Working with couples is my greatest passion. I create space for repair, whether you’re recovering from infidelity, adjusting to life after having a baby, or feeling stuck in a cycle of criticism and withdrawal. Repair is possible when both partners are willing to show up. My role is to help you get through the tough moments and find new ways to respond that build safety and accountability.

When I work with families, especially Black families, I use an attachment-based approach. Too often, survival has meant we had to hide our needs or shut down our emotions. These strategies may have helped us through tough times, but they can also leave us feeling distant from ourselves and each other. In therapy, we can name these patterns, honor them, and start to reshape them.

What brings me the most joy in my work is seeing Black women become more gentle with themselves, Black men grow more comfortable with emotional vulnerability, and adult children and parents repair relationships that have been strained by survival-mode parenting and intergenerational pain.

Clients say I am warm, steady, and direct. I will hold your story with care, and I will also encourage you to face the patterns that no longer help you. Therapy with me is not about quick fixes. It is about slowing down to notice what is happening, listening deeply so you feel safe, and practicing new ways of being that help you move toward the relationships you want.

If you are ready to reclaim your story and build relationships based on authenticity and connection, I would be honored to walk with you.

I am married, a mother of two, and proudly Jamaican. These parts of my identity remind me every day that relationships bring both joy and important challenges. For me, being Jamaican means staying close to family, community, and culture, holding on to resilience and laughter even during hard times, and knowing that life is not meant to be lived alone. I believe we heal through our connections with others, and that belief is at the center of my work.

One of my core values is congruence, which means living in alignment with who you truly are. I believe that the healthiest and strongest version of a person is also the most authentic. I have worked on this in my own life, and I bring the same dedication to my work with clients and the therapists I supervise.

Alongside my clinical work, I am an AAMFT-Approved Supervisor. My supervision model supports clinicians from internship through licensure and as they start their own practices. My mentorship continues beyond just getting a license. I am especially passionate about helping clinicians of color find their place in this field, and I hope to see more of us represented.

When I'm not in the therapy room, I enjoy being creative. You might notice some of my paintings in my office. I also sing, dance, and write music. Whenever I have the chance, I like to unwind with a hot yoga class or spend an afternoon decorating, often using colors inspired by my Jamaican heritage.

I am also involved in clinical research, which helps me stay connected to new developments in the field and keeps my approach fresh for both my clients and supervisees.

Couples therapy: rebuilding trust after infidelity, improving communication around sexual and emotional intimacy, navigating postpartum transitions, and strengthening communication and emotional safety
Family therapy: repairing attachment ruptures and healing intergenerational patterns
Adult parent-child relationships: healing attachment injuries and repairing strained relationships between adult children and their parents
Individual therapy: trauma recovery, anxiety, depression, and identity development
Identity & emotional expression: challenging limiting identity scripts, and helping clients build greater emotional vulnerability and softness
BIPOC experiences: navigating systemic stress, cultural identity, and relational balance
Clinical supervision: mentoring LMFTAs and post-graduate clinicians in systemic competence, self-of-the-therapist growth, and practice development

PhD in Marriage & Family Therapy — Northcentral University (research focused on Black military families
MS in Marriage & Family Therapy — Mercy College
BA in Psychology & Sociology — Stony Brook University
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT) in NY, NC, MD, VT, MA, and VA
AAMFT Approved Supervisor
Actively engaged in clinical research
Over 10 years serving Black and Hispanic communities in individual, couples, and family therapy
Trauma-certified: Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure, Trauma-Focused CBT, EMDR-trained
Gottman Method Level 1 & 2, plus Gottman Infidelity training
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) trained — EFIT (individual) and EFCT (couples)
Narrative Therapy and Structural Family Therapy
Postpartum Certificate
Advanced ADHD Certification

Meet Lastenia Francis, PhD, LMFT, AAMFT Approved Supervisor (she/her)

Currently has very limited daytime-only availability for new clients (no evening or weekend sessions)

Accepts most major insurances and private pay

Also provides clinical supervision for LMFTAs & interns in NC

Actively engaged in clinical research

My Approach

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I am also involved in clinical research, which helps me stay connected to new developments in the field and keeps my approach fresh for both my clients and supervisees.