Mary Franco, LMFT

Mary Franco is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with 14 years of clinical experience based in California. She practices from a strength-based perspective, combining evidence-informed, eclectic therapeutic techniques that are adapted to each client’s individual needs. Mary has worked in private practice, community-based organizations, and public schools across multiple grade levels, gaining experience with adults, children, adolescents, and couples.

Prior to licensure she provided counseling in the non-profit sector, supported individuals in foster care, and delivered in-home behavioral support for children and families. Those roles contributed to a broad familiarity with family systems, school-related concerns, and behavioral support needs. In session she collaborates with clients to explore their stories, identify therapeutic and personal goals, and build strategies to address stress, anxiety, relationship and parenting challenges, self-esteem, and life changes.

Mary recognizes that therapy looks different for everyone - some people prefer shorter-term work while others pursue longer processes of self-discovery and growth. Her priority is to meet clients where they are, offer practical support and understanding, and tailor interventions for communication problems, family difficulties, forgiveness work, midlife concerns, self-love, and related issues. She welcomes those ready to take the first step toward change and looks forward to meeting prospective clients.

Evidence-Informed Approaches and Online Care

Mary emphasizes a strength-based approach that identifies and builds on each person’s existing resources and resilience. This focus on strengths supports work around self-esteem, coping with stress, and navigating life transitions by helping clients recognize and expand what is already working for them.

She also uses eclectic, evidence-informed techniques that prioritize practical skill building such as communication strategies and coping tools. These techniques are well suited to relationship concerns, parenting challenges, anxiety management, and the practical demands of midlife or young adult transitions.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is part of the collaborative process. Licensed professionals and therapists often tailor methods to a client’s needs, goals, and preferences, and Mary will work alongside each person to determine which techniques feel most helpful and to adjust the plan over time.

Online therapy options - including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging - make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and life changes. These formats offer flexibility in timing and pace, allow continued support when in-person visits are difficult, and provide multiple ways to communicate depending on what feels most comfortable for the client.