Hello! My name is Daisy Franco, and I am a seasoned bilingual Licensed Clinical Social Worker based in Illinois. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about me and see how, as your therapist, I can guide you through your current obstacle(s). I graduated with my Master’s in Social Work with a mental health concentration and a Certification in Evidence-Based Mental Health Practice with Children and Adolescents. I have a wealth of experience serving BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) at-risk youth, adolescents, and adults in various settings: residential, behavioral health services, and therapeutic schools. Some of these client populations included emotionally disabled children and adolescents as well as adults presenting with intellectual and developmental disabilities. When working with children and adolescents in the school environment, I have conducted assessments/evaluations for students struggling within the academic setting, preparing Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and providing social work services to students with social-emotional needs. Many of these students are experiencing anxiety, school avoidance, depression, ptsd, peer conflict, and many other issues that can impact a student's ability to learn and flourish in an educational setting. I also have a strong foundation background in working with adult clients with chronic and severe mental illness and dual-integrated co-occurring disorders such as a schizophrenia, bipolar I and II .
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
In our first session, I will begin getting to know you and listen to your concerns. I will validate your feelings and you will feel heard. Your life journey is important to me, and our time spent together is carefully crafted to allow a safe place to be heard, seen, and, in time, feel empowered. My approach includes helping clients identify their strengths to overcome obstacles and break away from unhealthy patterns or habits. Clients also learn to implement positive coping skills and behaviors to improve their mindset. Depending on clients’ individualized needs, communication resiliency and personal strengths can increase with time by learning the tools needed to reach individual goals. A trustworthy, empathetic clinician like myself will facilitate the process through solid validation, humility, and compassion to help my clients understand their life journey. Therapeutic success cannot occur without the ability to have my clients feel accepted, and heard. We will work together on a treatment plan with goals that align with your current needs and together to support the transformation you seek to bring peace, and self-acceptance of yourself.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I take pride in knowing my clients will feel empowered as they are in this therapeutic process with me. It can be very scary to meet someone new and reveal your feelings. You set the pace of your therapeutic journey with me. In addition, being bilingual has helped me connect with Spanish-speaking clients, as I can particularly relate to Hispanic clients. Speaking the native language helps develop trusting relationships and encourages communication. As a first-generation Mexican-American, I understand the challenges BIPOC face when it comes to mental health treatment for themselves when there may be challenges with this topic in family dynamics.
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
I am committed to providing individualized, quality-made, supportive mental health services for clients with diverse backgrounds to find their inner strength and empowerment. The clients’ strength and empowerment can be discovered through their therapeutic journey with me as their professional clinician as they seek to overcome life challenges. I enjoy working with clients that are open-minded to solutions and are motivated for change.