- Motivational Interviewing
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- HIV and end-of-life care
About Karena
Karena Franses is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in California with 28 years of clinical experience. She has worked in both hospital and private practice settings and focuses on addictions, relationship concerns, grief, mood disorders, and coping with life changes. She also lists life purpose among her areas of attention.
Her earlier work included a long tenure at a county outpatient HIV clinic where she supervised social work services and counseled a large patient population. There she used Motivational Interviewing with people facing addiction, trauma, depression, homelessness, and the impacts of systemic stigma. Later she ran a small psychodynamic-informed practice, seeing individuals and couples for issues such as body image, self-harm, and intimacy problems.
Her sessions tend to combine attention to patterns from the past with clear, present-focused conversations about change. Motivational Interviewing appears when people are weighing change or struggling with substance use. Psychodynamic ideas are used to identify repeating relationship patterns and early influences that still affect choices.
She names many practical concerns she commonly addresses: drug and alcohol addiction, eating and food-related issues, caregiver stress, communication problems, and life transitions tied to work or health. She also notes work with LGBT-related stress, HIV/AIDS, hospice and end-of-life counseling, and dealing with guilt, shame, isolation, or jealousy.
Clients can expect a clinician who draws on years of hospital and private practice experience. The focus is on understanding what causes the suffering and working together to reduce its hold on daily life. To begin, readers should use the platform controls to view online therapy options and complete the matching questionnaire before scheduling a first session.
How her approaches translate to online work
Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative way of talking that helps people weigh change and strengthen their own reasons to act. It often suits issues like drug and alcohol addiction, ambivalence about lifestyle changes, or when someone is thinking about treatment but feels unsure. Psychodynamic Therapy looks at recurring patterns in relationships and behavior and connects them to earlier experiences. It can help when intimacy problems, communication breakdowns, or repeats of old dynamics are causing distress. Choosing an approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about goals and preferences, and use those conversations to decide whether a more motivational focus or a psychodynamic lens is most useful. That decision can shift over time as needs change. The practical benefits of online work include easier fitting of sessions into a busy week and fewer barriers related to travel. Because specific session formats were not listed in the biography, confirm available options before booking. Many people find online sessions let them maintain continuity of care during life transitions and make scheduling follow-ups simpler, while still allowing for focused therapeutic conversations.Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
28+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she commonly address?
She lists addictions, anxiety, depression, relationship and intimacy-related issues, grief, bipolar disorder, and coping with life changes among her core concerns.
How does she approach someone who feels stuck or directionless?
She combines Motivational Interviewing to support readiness for change with psychodynamic-informed conversations to uncover repeating patterns that influence current choices.
How many years has she been practicing?
She has 28 years of clinical experience, including work in a county outpatient HIV clinic and a private psychotherapy practice.
What credential does she hold and where does she practice?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, CA LCSW, practicing in California.
Can I work with her if I live outside the United States?
She accepts international clients; sessions are offered in English.
Which session formats are available?
Current session formats were not specified in the biography; confirm the available online session options before booking.
How are fees and billing handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What do I need to do to get started?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the crisis numbers.