Frances Mican (she/her)

I draw from multiple modalities, theories, and techniques in working with my clients. I view it as my role to flex to fit my clients, rather than asking them to fit my approach--while there are theories that I am drawn towards, I work to incorporate feedback from clients to help shape my approach.

I am trained as a couple and family therapist--but I bring in this perspective when I'm working with individuals, as well. To me this means considering the different places you exist--the family you grew up in, your family of creation, friendships, workplaces, communities, and cultures--and working to understand how all of these parts of your life impact you as a whole.

I am an intersectional feminist, and this anti-oppressive approach guides my work. My clients are the experts of their lives; my role is not to provide expertise or to tell people how to live, but instead to support clients in becoming comfortable and confident in building and working from that place of self-knowledge. This also means considering the power structures that exist in the lives of my clients, in their families, communities, and cultures, and recognizing the impact of that backdrop.

Navigating life transitions can be challenging--even if those transitions are expected and positive. I have worked with many clients as they adapt and adjust to new circumstances or changes in life, recognizing that this can often be an underlying issue that increases mental health challenges.

Grief and loss is a typical part of life, but can bring up many emotions. Experiences of grief and loss can come from many sources--many of my clients have experienced the death of a loved one, loss of community, or grief around changes in life.

Attachment shows up in the families we grew up in, how we connect with friends and partners, how we handle our own families of creation, and more. I draw from attachment theory whether working with individuals, couples, or families, to support people in creating strong and secure connections with self, others, and the world.

I am EMDR certified, and a consultant in training. EMDR is a powerful tool (particularly when integrated with ego state and somatic work) not only for healing trauma but for addressing many issues ranging from anxiety to phobias to schemas about self.

My background in working with adults with developmental disabilities, my education in ethics, and then my own experiences within the healthcare system shaped my enthusiasm for working with people who have chronic pain and illness. I bring an integrative approach and have found particular success with using EMDR and ego state work in supporting people with chronic health conditions including pain.

EMDR is highly regarded as an effective, evidence-based treatment for PTSD with people experiencing great relief and lasting benefits. I use this in conjunction with other modalities to support people in working through traumatic experiences whether they meet criteria for a PTSD diagnosis or not, whether have had one or more major traumatic event and/or have had many smaller traumatic experiences.

I work with clients who experience anxiety (overthinking, panic attacks, fear and dread) in many forms, particularly with people who have anxiety around being able to trust themselves. I work with my clients to explore their values, goals, barriers to goals, using different tools to support every individual I work with. This might mean doing work around some of the experiences that created a lack of trust in yourself, whether that's past mistakes or having been told to deny your own knowledge.