Offering Video Psychotherapy
Let your healing begin NOW
Mary Ann Franco
Licensed Marriage Family Therapist
Doctor of Education, Counseling Psychology
My Therapy Style
Therapy is about listening with my heart and soul. I design therapeutic interventions specific to your needs. I have witnessed many individuals, couples, and families transform in therapy. Everyone has the innate capacity to heal, feel well, and be happy. I am available for ONLINE Teletherapy via Video using a HIPPA approved platform.
Accepted Insurance
- AETNA
- BEACON HEALTH
- CIGNA
- MAGELLAN
- OPTUM
- UNITED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
*Sliding scale available upon request.
Am I depressed?
- Little interest or pleasure in doing things that you used to enjoy
- Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless
- Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much
- Feeling tired or having little energy
- Poor appetite, overeating, or considerable weight changes
- Feeling bad about yourself - that you are a failure or having a lot of guilt
- Difficulty concentrating on things or making decisions
- Moving or speaking slowly, so that other people have noticed, or being so restless that you've been moving around a lot
- Thoughts that you would be better off dead, or of hurting yourself in some way.
Am I anxious?
- Feeling nervous, restless or tense
- Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom
- Having an increased heart rate
- Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)
- Sweating
- Trembling
- Feeling weak or tired
- Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry
- Having trouble sleeping
- Experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) problems
- Having difficulty controlling worry
- Having the urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety
Am I in a toxic relationship?
- Not liking yourself, not feeling like yourself
- Constantly feeling guilty for not wanting to be in the relationship
- Feeling sick in your stomach
- Needing to constantly apologize
- Tearfulness, sadness, crying spells
- Frequent rationalizations of the others’ behavior
- Blaming yourself for the behavior of others
- Believing that you are causing the negative behavior of others
- Feeling the need to save others
- Inability to express yourself freely for fear of being stone walled or to avoid an argument
- Constant headaches, neck pain
- Inequality in the give and take in the relationship
- Not being able to depend on the other person
- Taking on the emotional baggage of the other person
- Having to sport a positive attitude to keep the relationship going
- Feeling depleted, emotionally drained
- Knowing deep inside that the relationship is hurting you
Services Provided
- Individual
- Couple
- Family Psychotherapy
- Clinical Supervision
Languages Spoken
- English
- Tagalog
- Portuguese
Treatment Modalities
I use an eclectic and integrated approach to meet your needs.
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- Attachment-based
- Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
- Emotionally Focused
- Existential
- Experiential Therapy
- Family / Marital
- Family Systems
- Family Systems therapy
- Humanistic
- Mindfulness-Based (MBCT)
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative
- Person-Centered
- Relational
- Solution Focused Brief (SFBT)
- Trauma Informed
Areas of Specialization
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Trauma
- Childhood Sexual Abuse
- Human Trafficking
- Relationship Challenges
- Parenting Support
- Coping with Adolescents
- Grief and Bereavement Counseling
- Stress Management
- Acculturation Challenges
- Clinical Supervision
Are you ready for Therapy?
The process of therapy requires a capacity for reflection and introspection. There is a time and space where you feel that your current state of affairs no longer matches who you are and who you want to be. You are ready for therapy when your desire for changes outweighs your fears and immobility. You are ready for therapy when you want the wounds of the past to no longer haunt you. Therapy is about learning to love yourself, accepting and appreciating all aspects. It is about learning to integrate your life’s experiences, makes some sense out of it and make the best out of it. The road to wellness starts with self love. Being kind and gentle to yourself. Allowing yourself to feel a wide range of emotions and knowing how to express them in an appropriate and beneficial way. In therapy you will learn how to teach others how to treat yourself based on how you treat yourself.
Learning to love yourself is the road to happiness.
The Therapeutic Process
The process of therapy starts with trust. Being in an atmosphere of safety and security is imperative for the client is able to share all aspects of themselves-especially those that bring incredible shame and guilt. Being vulnerable is never comfortable for anyone. Therefore finding a therapist that resonates with you is essential for self-exploration. Together, we will discover the root causes of both conscious and unconscious patterns that no longer serve you. Additionally we will reconstruct the narrative, the schema, the automatic thoughts and negative beliefs that underlie the feelings of sadness, anxiety, emptiness and pain. The ultimate goal is to love thyself.
Because each person’s process is unique, the experience will vary depending on the goals, motivation, support, resources, determination, resilience and responsiveness to treatment. There is no standard formula that works for everyone, however once a week for at least 6 weeks- again depending on the severity of your concerns would be a good starting point. I am highly collaborative and ask my clients to identify their desired destination. I create and calibrate each session depending on my clients’ needs and emotional state.
Benefits and Risks of Therapy
Just like surgery, the process of healing can initially entail a degree of distress and pain. Once you undergo change, relationships tend to shift and people around you may not be comfortable with it. Some may choose to leave and others may choose to distance themselves from you. Although toxic relationships are undesirable, they are familiar and predictable therefore most get stuck in these dysfunctional exchanges. Going against the natural trajectory can be challenging at first. It takes mental discipline as well as emotional fortitude. However once you experience your authentic self you will learn to attract the right people, situations and settings that will lead you to fulfilment, purpose and empowerment.
About Me
I am a licensed Marriage and Family therapist in the state of California and hold a doctorate in Education, Counseling Psychology. In addition to my private practice, I am also the Clinical Director of Humansave, a nonprofit organization that specializes in the prevention and treatment of human trafficking and child sexual exploitation. I previously served as the Clinical Director of an intensive inpatient residential program for delinquent youth, worked as a Clinical Supervisor for an agency devoted to helping victims of crime, and have taught counseling courses at the graduate and doctoral levels. I have resided in three continents–the US, Europe, and Asia–and greatly appreciate cultural diversity.
My passion is watching as my clients transcend their trauma and transform their relationships with not only their loved ones, but first and foremost with themselves.