Shana Franklin, MD, LCSW-C

Shana Franklin is a Maryland-licensed therapist with 15 years of professional experience supporting people through stress, anxiety, relationships, grief, and life transitions. She holds an MD, which denotes a medical doctor, and an LCSW-C, which indicates she is a licensed clinical social worker with clinical training. Her practice emphasizes helping clients build motivation, strengthen self esteem, and regain confidence while navigating significant changes or loss.

She approaches care from a strengths-based perspective, treating each person as the expert of their own story and building on the abilities they already possess. Shana focuses on practical tools for coping and clearer communication when relationship struggles, control issues, or questions of life purpose arise. She also offers work around forgiveness and cultivating self-love as part of long-term wellbeing.

Recognizing that starting therapy takes courage, Shana encourages new clients to acknowledge that first step and offers steady, respectful support as they begin. She provides services in English and is available to work with clients in Maryland as well as international clients, offering flexible ways to connect that fit varied schedules and needs.

Evidence-based approaches and flexible online care

Shana uses a range of evidence-based therapeutic techniques tailored to each person’s needs. One focus is goal-focused skill building, which teaches practical strategies for managing stress and anxiety, improving day-to-day coping, and strengthening self-confidence. Another emphasis is emotion-focused exploration, which helps people process grief, examine patterns that affect self-worth, and work through forgiveness and life purpose concerns. She also integrates communication and relationship-focused work to address interpersonal conflicts and improve connection and boundary setting.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Shana collaborates with each client to identify which techniques fit their goals, preferences, and circumstances, adjusting methods over time to ensure the work remains relevant and effective.

Online therapy offers flexibility and accessibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit sessions into busy lives, maintain continuity during transitions, and receive care from different locations while working with licensed professionals and therapists committed to supporting each client’s progress.