quote by Albert Einstein
Important Information!
I am starting a new group therapy practice and will be merging my current practice with the new group therapy practice. Therefore, this website is no longer in use. Please see www.sanctuarywellnessco.com for my new website. Thank you!
Welcome!
I am a licensed clinical social worker with a private psychotherapy practice in Maplewood, New Jersey. I have extensive experience working with adults, adolescents, families and couples. For more information about the issues I specialize in please look at my services page.
I believe in building a caring and trusting relationship with all of my clients in order to collaboratively empower them to make healthy life changes. I understand that initiating a therapeutic relationship can be a daunting task fraught with anxiety. My goal is to work through those anxieties with each client in order to form a partnership for change and to equip my clients with the necessary tools to help avoid future challenges.
Thank you for visiting my web site. I hope that you find answers to most of your questions here, but if I can assist you in any way, please feel free to contact me with any further questions at (973) 864-4835 or kfrancinilcsw@gmail.com.
I look forward to meeting you!
Kelly
I am excited to announce that I just added a new offering to my practice called Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) in partnership with an organization called Journey Clinical. Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is a holistic, psychedelic modality in which ketamine is used as a complement to psychotherapy to help eligible patients get un-stuck and experience long-lasting improvement in symptoms, particularly those with depression and anxiety. If you are interested in learning more about ketamine therapy see the information located here.
Five Questions You Should Ask Your Therapist Before You Begin Therapy (And My Answers)
Adapted from an article written by Therese Borchard
1. My problem is _______. How would you go about treating that?
This seems pretty straight forward but you may not know what problem you are dealing with. In that case, discussing the symptoms that are causing you to seek therapy (insomnia, anger outbursts, panic attacks, etc.) should be enough for the therapist to explain how they would treat you. The important thing about the answer to this question is that you feel listened to and their answers about treatment make sense to you. I can’t really answer this question for you here because I don’t know why you are seeking treatment but I welcome the conversation with anyone who wants to get in touch with me via email or phone.
2. Some therapists are more comfortable addressing the immediate problem, while others want to focus on the deeper issue. Which are you?
I am generally a cognitive-behavioral therapist. This means that my goals often involve helping you make changes in your life that have more immediate results. My belief is that when someone is feeling awful and seeks out therapy they need more immediate relief. However, this often involves some delving into deeper issues and I will do that when needed. I am constantly seeking out ways to learn new strategies and techniques. Therefore, the interventions I suggest come from many different theories. I don’t believe that there is one treatment that fits all problems and all people. So I often cater my approach to the individual and their presenting problems.
3. Do you tend to lead the session, or follow my lead?
My belief is that any treatment goals we set for you have to make sense for your life. This is why I often let you lead the session. This does not mean that once we set goals I will not direct the conversation to those goals. It also doesn’t mean that I won’t use direct questioning to help you explore avenues of change. Ultimately, when you leave my office you have to live with the circumstances of your life so the interventions you choose to incorporate have to be right for you. I can be confrontational when I believe it is required for your journey towards health and happiness but I welcome and encourage your input or disagreement.
4. What role does our relationship play in our work?
Our relationship is one of the biggest determining factors in whether therapy will work for you. I want you to get the help that you need and if my style brings up more problems for you than it solves, I want to help you find someone else who can help you. I believe it is important for you to feel comfortable so that you feel safe to open up about difficult subjects. I will push you and challenge you to help you become healthier and happier. I will offer you strategies to help resolve problems in your life and through it all I will provide support. Working with me definitely requires you to be an active participant in the process. My goal is always to help you learn about yourself and assimilate techniques into your life that will allow you to be successful without my support.
5. What are your strengths as a therapist?
I care about people, which makes me a very non-judgmental and empathetic person. I am adept at thinking outside of the box which often helps me offer people treatment options rather than insisting there is only one way to accomplish your goals. I am talented at reading body language which I may use to help you recognize areas in your life that bring you pain or discomfort of which you have previously been unaware. I am a very strengths-based therapist so I often can help you see strengths in yourself and offer new perspectives that might be helpful to you.
For more information on finding a good therapist and starting the therapuetic process read this article:
How Do I Find A Therapist Near Me