Louis Christiansen, Associate Clinical Social Worker
ph. 707-502-2475
Louis Christiansen is an Associate Social Worker and Certified Substance Use Disorder Counselor serving Humboldt County. Born and raised in Humboldt County, Louis is proud to call this place home. He is a father, husband, and grandfather, and his family is deeply important to him. Faith is also a cornerstone of his life, and he believes spirituality can be an incredible source of strength and healing.
Louis spent many years working as a restaurant manager and chef before feeling called to serve the community in a different way. That journey began while managing St. Vincent de Paul’s free meal program, advocating for human rights, and helping feed people in need. Wanting to further support the community, Louis attended and completed the Addiction Studies Program at College of the Redwoods. During that time, he worked for three years as a Substance Use Disorder Counselor at Waterfront Recovery Services. Prior to that, he served for one year as a facilitator for the Batterers’ Intervention Program. He later continued his education at Cal Poly Humboldt, earning his MSW to deepen his understanding of systems, trauma, and healing.
Through his experience, Louis has learned how to create and maintain a safe space that supports the strengths individuals already carry within themselves and within their family or community systems. He believes that each client’s experiences are unique and that healing requires individualized, integrative approaches guided by the client’s own self-determination and goals. To support this process, Louis utilizes a client-centered, strengths-based approach through a trauma-informed lens.
Louis is particularly drawn to Compassionate Inquiry as a therapeutic modality because he believes trauma is often stored in the body. He believes that developing somatic awareness and learning to attune to the body can foster deeper personal understanding and support the healing journey. He also values the importance of relationships and connection within the therapeutic process and works to create a space that is both professional and relational for his clients.
As an Associate Social Worker and Certified Substance Use Disorder Counselor, Louis’s dedication to this work evolved through direct community service, advocacy, and clinical practice. His spiritual practice and belief in spiritual integration continue to strengthen his therapeutic approach. His work remains grounded in compassion, relational connection, trauma-informed care, and the belief that healing grows through safety, self-awareness, and authentic human connection.
Louis Christiansen, Associate Social Worker License #pending, Supervised by Lisa Rix, LCSW #93607