Frances De Los Santos
LCMHCA
Frances De Los Santos (they/them/elle) is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate who earned a master’s of education in clinical mental health counseling from North Carolina State University. They worked in the college access realm and provided middle and high school students opportunities for career exploration, goal setting, and more. Through this work, they integrated programs focused on self-care and self-exploration.
As a Mexican American non-binary female, Frances grew up in a mixed-status household where secrecy was a requirement for safety and the only culturally accepted emotions were anger and joy. As a result, they learned to carry a lot of anxiety and internalized negative messages about themselves while feeling like they had to navigate things on her own. As a young adult, Frances learned that it was impossible for her to heal from trauma alone. They learned the importance of validation and acceptance found in community and relationships that value authenticity. These experiences are why Frances is passionate about creating brave spaces that allow room for feeling and healing.
Frances understands that our different identities greatly impact how we experience the world, the challenges we face, and the beliefs we hold about ourselves. They genuinely work to meet each client where they are, understanding the therapeutic journey as very personal and individualized. They take an eclectic approach that utilizes a mixture of person-centered, feminist, gender-affirming, and interpersonal processing therapy based on each client’s needs. Frances is passionate about creating a safe space for one’s experience without repercussions. With their clients, they seek to honor one’s emotions without judgment, facilitate identity exploration, nurture self-awareness, and empower self-acceptance.
Frances works with adults of all ages with various backgrounds and experiences. With their clients, they focus on various concerns including anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, cultural and LGBTQ+ identity, sexuality, burnout, life transitions, and self-acceptance.
