Hi! My name is Frances and I am a licensed marriage and family therapist practicing for the last 7 years. I received my master’s from California State University Northridge. I help client’s work on whatever aspects of their lives they want to improve, increasing coping tools to manage difficulties in life. Being able to work as a therapist has been a dream come true and something I am so grateful I have been able to pursue. Outside of the therapy room, you can find me walking my dog, hiking, enjoying good coffee, and enjoying the simple pleasures of life.
During our first session I will focus on getting to know you and exploring what you would like to get out of therapy. We will develop a personalized treatment plan with specific goals we will work on during therapy. These goals can always be adjusted or changed during our time working together.
My greatest strength as a therapist is being able to provide a safe comfortable space in which my client’s can be their authentic selves. It is always an honor to witness my client’s openness and growth as individuals throughout the course of therapy.
I work with a variety of clients coming in for issues ranging from anxiety, depression, interpersonal difficulties, trauma, and more.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is an evidence based therapeutic approach that is effective for a broad range of problems client’s may come into therapy for. While using this approach I focus on unhelpful ways of thinking that might be keeping a client stuck in negative feelings.
I have years of experience working with the LGBTQ+ community which is something I am very passionate about. In the past I have worked as an LGBT focused counselor as well as a gender therapist assisting client’s as they pursue gender affirming procedures.
I use Cognitive Processing (evidence based therapy) to process and review traumatic experiences that my client’s want to work on. It is an effective framework to do trauma work that helps you challenge unhelpful beliefs related to the trauma.
I approach therapy through a humanistic lens viewing each client as a unique individual, with their own personal strengths and goodness, who are pursuing personal growth and fulfillment in their own lives.
As a strength based therapist I lean into using each client’s personal strengths in order to pursue the therapeutic goals that are created by the person I am working with.