Joe Curcio, L.Ac., SEP, B.Sc., MTOM

Healing practitioner. Somatic guide. Nervous system ally.

Early Wiring

You could say my first address featured some “tacky” ‘70s decor—a copper IUD in utero. Though copper’s great for electrical circuits, it probably didn’t do much to support my early wiring. Still, I like to think of those early negotiations with that prickly roommate as my first lessons in grounding to dissipate the charge—a skill I now share with my clients.

A Long Journey Toward Healing

Early in my adult life, despite an outward appearance of success, my inner world was full of strain I didn’t yet understand. I developed cluster headaches—a pain ranked among the most severe known—that resisted every conventional remedy I tried.

What began as a desperate fight to escape pain evolved into a deeper journey. I immersed myself in meditation, yoga, acupuncture, nutrition, herbal medicine, somatic therapy, and attachment work—each tradition offering an essential piece of the puzzle. Over time, the synergy of these approaches began to shift something tectonic—deep, slow, and foundational. After decades of recurring episodes, I can now say with quiet awe and deep gratitude: the cluster headaches are gone.

I maintain a daily meditation practice, having logged over 10,000 hours and months in silent retreat. This practice informs how I listen and how I hold space for others.

I’m an approved advanced-level Somatic Experiencing® personal session provider and assist in training new practitioners. I’m also part of a national disaster response cadre for crisis stabilization—a role that calls on me to bring steadiness and skill when lives are upended by disaster.

Professional and Academic Experience

I learned a great deal providing more than 20,000 acupuncture treatments and supporting nearly a thousand clients through deep somatic work. But I also burned out—twice (slow learner). Those experiences reshaped how I move through the world and how I support others. Now, I work with a small, carefully selected circle of clients in a steady, spacious rhythm that honors the real capacity of the nervous system—that of my client as well as my own.

I was once the classic overachiever—second in my high school class, summa cum laude in acupuncture school, eventually teaching at two colleges. One of my life lessons continues to be letting the heart lead and the intellect serve—still something I return to, again and again. Professionally, I’ve worn a few hats—including metallurgical engineer, yoga teacher, and founder of L.A. Wellness, a group holistic practice I led for twenty years.

Who I Work With

Clients often seek my care when the usual strategies stop working—in search of a more attuned and embodied approach to resolving stress, pain, or burnout. Therapists and somatic practitioners, and other committed seekers from other walks of life—find a space that invites depth without pressure, structure without rigidity, and a touch of humor when it’s needed most.

The Music of Life

Music has been a steady companion throughout my life. I played guitar and sang in a band that brought me to Los Angeles—unknowingly landing me in the heart of Southern California’s vibrant holistic healing scene. Though music led me there, it was the community that opened the next door. That creative thread stayed with me, though—I even managed to weave it into my clinical work by creating a study guide to Chinese herbal formulas that’s made its way into classrooms and clinics around the world. I still play gigs here and there. Seems some teenage dreams never quite take their final bow—they just tune their guitars a little lower.

But no stage has taught me more than fatherhood. My daughter is my greatest guru.

All of these experiences—personal, professional, and unexpected—inform the work I do now. Though healing is rarely linear, with the right kind of support and gentle resolve, it finds its way. If you’re ready to go deeper, I invite you to inquire about what’s possible together.

Warmly,

Joe Curcio, L.Ac. SEP B.Sc. MTOM