Licensed to practice in California and accepts 22 insurances. Specializes in Addiction, Anxiety, Trauma and PTSD and 9 more.
Clients say this provider is
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) originally from just outside of New York City and currently live in San Diego. Working to support the mental health of others is truly my greatest honor. We are often programmed by our previous experiences, culture, and past trauma to believe a false narrative about ourselves. Utilizing the therapeutic alliance, I help clients to resolve negative, false, or limiting beliefs that may be hindering their ability to step into their true identities. We do not have to continue to live out the script that we inherited or feel the need to live in the shadows. Instead, we can live with intension, purpose, and a sense of gratitude.
You can expect to experience a sense of warmth, empathy, and a non-judgment approach. It is my goal to create an environment of safety and to promote growth for my clients. I have an innate ability to build relationships and to enable my clients to feel comfortable sharing openly. Historically, therapists came from a position of authority or as if they are all knowing. I reject this idea and often work alongside my clients to develop goals which suit the individual. I will utilize my expertise to carve out the most effective route to meet your goals.
My greatest strength as a provider is my ability to connect and make others feel heard. The art of active listening involves intently listening without any preconceived notions or bias. I want our sessions to feel like a partnership or collaboration. Therapy involves the "healing relationship" in which old patterns of behaviors and beliefs can be reframed through communication in a non-judgemental, compassionate environment. Our sessions will be a space for you to explore your own ideas and to modify those ideas which are no longer serving you.
I am best positioned to serve adult clients who are navigating significant life stressors and interpersonal challenges, and who are ready to do the deeper work of understanding themselves within their relationships and life circumstances. Many of the clients I work with are managing the effects of trauma, addiction, anxiety, or depression, and are looking for a therapist who can meet them with both structure and genuine warmth. A central focus of my work is trauma, which I address through EMDR, an evidence-based approach that helps clients process and move through distressing memories and experiences so they no longer hold the same emotional weight; I also draw on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help clients identify and shift the thought patterns that keep anxiety, depression, and self-defeating cycles in place, and for clients working through addiction, I bring both clinical expertise and a compassionate understanding of the underlying pain that substance use often masks. I believe people operate at their best when they have a sufficient "why" — a clear sense of purpose and meaning that fuels motivation and sustains change — and this belief shapes how I work with every client, whether we're using CBT to untangle unhelpful thinking, Emotionally-Focused Therapy to strengthen relationships, EMDR to process trauma, or psychoanalytic exploration to understand deeper patterns. Ultimately, I know that therapy cannot be truly productive without a strong therapeutic alliance, and building that trust and connection is something I feel confident doing, since it's through this relationship that lasting change becomes possible — if you're ready to explore your patterns, process what's weighing on you, and move toward a more intentional and connected life, I'd be glad to work with you.
Cash - $150 per session
Aetna
Aetna - Allied Benefits
Aetna - ASR Health Benefits
Aetna - Lucent Health
Aetna - Luminare
Aetna - Moda
Aetna - WebTPA
Aetna – HealthEZ
All Savers
AvMed
Golden Rule
Harvard Pilgrim/UnitedHealthcare
Optum
OptumHealth Complex Medical Conditions
Oscar
Oxford
Surest (formerly Bind)
United Medical Resources
UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance
UnitedHealthcare Shared Services
UnitedHealthcare StudentResources
UnitedHealthcare/Optum
CBT is built on a simple but powerful idea: the way we think affects the way we feel and act. Together, we'll identify thought patterns that are keeping you stuck — the self-criticism, the worst-case thinking, the stories you've told yourself for years — and start replacing them with something more accurate and helpful. It's practical, collaborative, and you'll walk away with real tools you can use between sessions.
Most of our suffering happens when we're stuck in the past or dreading the future. Mindfulness brings you back to right now — and that's where healing happens. We'll use mindfulness practices to help you slow down, notice what's going on inside without judgment, and respond to life instead of just reacting to it. No meditation experience needed, just a willingness to pause and pay attention.
EMDR helps your brain do what it couldn't do on its own — process painful memories so they stop running the show. Using gentle bilateral stimulation (like guided eye movements), we work through stuck experiences without you having to retell your story over and over. It's backed by decades of research and can be surprisingly effective for trauma, anxiety, phobias, and more. Most people are skeptical at first — and then amazed by how much lighter they feel.
Our closest relationships shape us more than almost anything else — and when they're struggling, everything feels harder. EFT helps you understand the patterns and cycles that keep you and your loved ones stuck, and get to the deeper emotions underneath. Whether you're working on a romantic relationship, family dynamics, or your relationship with yourself, EFT creates space for real connection and lasting change.
12 ratings with written reviews
September 9, 2026
I really appreciate Frank's genuine interest in who I am as a person, with aspects of challenging ideas. I was quite surprised by how conversational our session was, as I hadn't experienced that before in therapy. It was uplifting, refreshing, and definitely solution-oriented.
September 3, 2026
Francis does not just tell me what I want to hear but rather makes me think about my current situation and gives me direct feedback and options that I may or may not be so quick to think about or try on my own.
September 1, 2026
Very good first session, easy to talk to and very knowledgeable.