Life is made up of relationships and our need for meaningful connection. Relationships have many different forms: with self, partners, spouses, parents, friends, children, coworkers, and more. Although we may hope for these relationships to serve as pillars of strength in our lives, they can, unfortunately, become sources of profound anger, sadness, pain, and distress.These challenging relationships can cause us to lose connection with our sense of self, leave us feeling isolated, and make us uncertain about how to mend them.

I believe a pattern of troubled and dysfunctional relationships can affect not only our well-being and sense of safety but also our capacity to progress in life. When our fundamental need for meaningful connection goes unmet, we may be left feeling diminished and alone.

If you're feeling alone, overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure where to start as you reflect on your relationships, the therapeutic relationship can serve as your foundation. It offers ongoing support while helping you navigate and make sense of these challenges. I am here to walk alongside you through the highs and lows, reminding you of your strengths and gently challenging you with kindness.

I create a space grounded in warmth, empathy, authenticity, and openness to all perspectives and beliefs. At its core, my role is that of a partner and collaborator. I view counseling as a shared journey—one that explores your relationships with care and focuses on honoring the person at the heart of these experiences.

In our time together, we will explore the relationships that trouble you and work toward healing and growth. My goal is to help you reconnect with your true, authentic self and empower you to create meaningful changes in any relationship you choose. To do this, I focus on highlighting what a healthy, fulfilling relationship looks like and helping you experience that in a safe, supportive way. I believe the foundation for this work is cultivating greater self-awareness—understanding your sense of self and how it influences your relationships.

I work with adults from all walks of life, including those in short- or long-term intimate relationships, individuals navigating new connections, members of multicultural families, those struggling in social situations, individuals dealing with infidelity, college students and recent graduates building their identities, and those facing anxiety, depression, grief, loss, or other distress stemming from relationship conflicts.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

Psychodynamic

Humanistic

Multicultural

Attachment-Based

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
— Maya Angelou

e: lfranco@mindfulhealingcounseling.com
c: 202-642-4314