About
- ACT techniques
- CBT tools
- Emotion-focused work
About Joan
Joan French is an IL Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) with 17 years of experience. She works with adults on stress, anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, grief, sleep problems, and challenges tied to family and parenting.
She focuses on helping people feel heard when they describe loneliness, isolation, or hopelessness. Joan listens for what feels hard to say and helps people put those things into words. She also offers support to people who identify as LGBTQIA2S+ or who are questioning their gender or orientation.
Her style blends several approaches so sessions are practical and direct. Joan draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) basics, cognitive behavioral tools, and dialectical behavior strategies to address mood and stress. She also uses emotionally-focused ideas to look at how patterns of communication affect close relationships.
Joan describes her overall approach as trauma-informed and integrative. She may bring in exercises from art therapy, anger management, positive communication skill building, and parts-work when it fits a person's goals. She sometimes uses light humor to ease tension and make difficult topics more approachable.
Her training includes a Master of Arts in Community Counseling from Governors State University and an Art Therapy Certificate from Northwestern University. Joan sees adults and aims to help them find clearer ways to cope, talk about hard things, and restore a sense of connection at home and in relationships.
How sessions work
How Joan brings therapy approaches online
Joan commonly integrates Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) when working with stress, anxiety, depression, and relationship worries. ACT focuses on helping people notice their thoughts and values, then commit to actions that matter despite difficult feelings. CBT offers concrete skills to change unhelpful thinking and behavioral patterns that keep stress and low mood in place.She approaches the choice of method collaboratively. Early sessions are used to identify what issues are most pressing and which techniques fit a person's goals and comfort level. The therapist and client decide together whether to emphasize ACT, CBT, emotionally-focused skills, or a blend of approaches over time.
Confirm the current online session options before booking since the biography does not list specific formats. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy day, shorten travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. It also makes continuing skills practice between sessions simpler, as worksheets or art exercises can be shared and reviewed remotely. Joan uses practical tools and conversation to help people apply skills to everyday family and home concerns.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
17+ years
Listed in
Illinois
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Which problems does she commonly help with?
She works with adults on stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, sleep difficulties, family-related concerns, and relationship struggles.
What is her therapy style like?
Her style is trauma-informed and integrative, using practical exercises and conversation to address patterns and feelings people bring.
How much clinical experience does she have?
Joan has 17 years of clinical experience working with adult clients.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is an IL LCPC, practicing in Illinois.
Does she offer sessions in other languages or accept international clients?
Sessions are offered in English and Joan is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats does she use?
Please confirm current session options before booking, as the biography does not list specific formats.
How are sessions priced?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Click the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule your first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If anyone is in danger, use the crisis numbers.