Desiree Meaton-Francisco
My counseling style is warm, approachable, and flexible. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. My specialties have been working with adolescents, and adults who have complex trauma that stems from abuse, neglect, or other life events. I have also worked with clients with a wide range of concerns including depression, anxiety, ADHD, addiction, coping with life transitions, relationship issues, parenting challenges, feelings of being overwhelmed or feeling the world’s weight on your shoulders, burnout, childhood trauma, career challenges, women's issues, family conflict, and grief/loss. I truly believe that building relationships with my clients are extremely important for therapy to be successful, therefore we will take some time to make sure we are the right fit, and I will never be offended if you feel you need a different approach. It takes courage to take the steps to start counseling and I will honor and respect your journey through this season of life. If you are ready to take that step, I am here to walk alongside you with encouragement and support!
My specialties have been working with adolescents, and adults who have complex trauma that stems from abuse, neglect, or other life events.
I look forward to working with you!
First session
In our first session we will start with brief introductions, discuss concerns or topics that you would like to be addressed in therapy and get to know each other. This will help create a tailored plan for us as a guide for follow up sessions. We will discuss your goals and desires to address in therapy which will help with follow up sessions.
Strengths
My approach is to get to know you and why you are seeking treatment to determine the best plan. A method I use frequently is “educating my clients,” this means I give you methods that you can use on and off the session to cope. I love using this method because I can see how much better a method helps you or if I think another one would work better. My biggest strength is trustworthiness I know trusting someone is a process especially a person you just met but no matter how long or short your journey is I am here for you. Also, treatment objectives can change during therapy as life evolves.
Ideal clients
I work best when clients are willing to actively participate in identifying and changing their thoughts and behaviors. Those who are open to learning new skills, set clear goals, and can practice techniques outside sessions tend to have the best outcomes. Client experiencing the following concerns tend to be the best fit. Anxiety and depression – CBT is one of the most evidence-based treatments for these, helping clients reframe negative thoughts and build coping skills. Trauma – Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT) is especially effective for children and adolescents with trauma histories, but can be adapted for adults. Stress and life challenges – Clients who want practical tools to manage daily stressors often thrive in CBT’s problem-solving framework. Behavioral issues – ADHD, anger management, and relationship problems can be addressed with targeted CBT techniques. Eating disorders and sleep disorders – CBT-based interventions (e.g., CBT-E, CBT-I) have strong empirical support.
Treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I primarily use Cognitive Behavioral, mindfulness and motivational techniques but also a seasoned therapist and modify techniques as needed.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
I utilize cognitive behavioral and emotionally focused therapy to provide support and education regarding current stressors and challenges and the impact on overall functioning.
Motivational Interviewing
I primarily use Cognitive Behavioral, mindfulness and motivational techniques but also a seasoned therapist and modify techniques as needed.
Location
Virtual sessions