Wholeness
I find wholeness in being outside, running and hiking. Being in nature grounds me and provides me time to help my whole wellbeing.
Associate Professor, Counseling and Family Sciences
Director, Counseling MS and Drug & Alcohol Counseling Certificate Programs
Contact Information
Email [email protected]
Phone 909-558-4547, ext. 47012
Department of Counseling and Family Sciences
Loma Linda University, Griggs Hall, Office 223
11065 Campus St., Loma Linda, CA 92350
Social Media
Instagram @lets_play_therapy
Degrees and Certifications
- EdD, Counseling Psychology - Argosy University, 2014
- Certified Grief Professional, 2021
- Play Therapy Certificate, 2022
Areas of Specialization
- Play therapy
- Grief and loss
- Children and adolescents
- Trauma
Professional Licenses and Memberships
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
- Registered Play Therapist and Certified Supervisor
- Member, California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT)
- Member, Association for Play Therapy (APT)
Recent Publications and Presentations
- Lascano, D. "Recognizing and Responding to Grief and Loss in Foster Care and Adoption." Play Therapy Magazine, June 2024.
- Lascano, D., Watkins, K. E., & Howard, C. J. (2024). Encouraging parental support after grief and loss to promote developmental well-being and educational success. In A. M. Gamez (Ed.), Parental influence on educational success and wellbeing (pp. 73–90). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-1451-7.ch005
- June 2026. "Processing Grief Through Play:Hands-on Techniques and Tools for supporting children across settings." National Alliance for Children's Grief Symposium.
- October 2025. "Play Therapy with Bereaved Children: Effective Play Therapy Interventions for Childhood & Adolescent Grief." Association for Play Therapy International Conference.
- October 2023. "Play therapy training and in vivo play supervision to increase clinical skills in trainees." Association for Play Therapy International Conference.
- May 2023. "Camp Morning: Grief & loss support for children and families." Vibrant Behavioral Health symposium.
Community Engagement
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Pro bono clinical work with clients in the Hispanic community (2022-present)
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Volunteer program consultation and evaluation services for future play therapists (2024-present)
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Co-founder of the Morning Sunrise Foundation, which trains helping professionals in play therapy and provides grief camp and therapy services to children and families in bereavement (2025-present)