- Stress and anxiety
- Relationships
- CBT and DBT methods
About Joan
Joan French is an Illinois Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) with 17 years of practice. She works with adults 18 and over on stress, anxiety, relationship problems, trauma and abuse, low self‑esteem, depression, grief, sleep issues, career concerns, and other life changes. Joan also supports people dealing with identity questions, gender dysphoria, and LGBT concerns.
She focuses on listening so people feel heard and less alone. Sessions are conversational and direct. Joan uses straightforward techniques from approaches such as CBT and DBT alongside emotion-focused methods. She sometimes brings creative options like art activities when they fit the work.
Joan describes her style as resourceful, patient, and practical. She aims to reduce isolation by helping clients notice patterns in relationships and behavior. That can include working on attachment concerns, codependency, communication problems, jealousy, and control issues.
Her trauma-informed way of working draws on multiple methods to meet specific needs. She will use skills practice for anxiety and mood management, emotion-focused strategies for relationship wounds, and behavioral tools for sleep or routine changes.
She trained in community counseling and holds an art therapy certificate. Between clinical experience and creative tools, Joan offers a mix of problem-solving and emotional work geared to adults navigating early adulthood and broader life transitions.
How Joan uses therapy approaches online
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters and take small actions toward those values. It is often used for stress, anxiety, and feeling stuck. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) breaks problems into thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and teaches concrete skills to change unhelpful patterns. It is commonly applied to depression, anxiety, sleep, and career stress. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) provides skill sets for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness and can help with intense emotions and conflict in relationships.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Joan will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what feels useful. She uses a collaborative process to try methods, check how they are working, and adjust the plan together.
Confirm the available session formats before booking so you know which options she currently offers. Online work can make it easier to fit appointments around school, shifts, or commute times. It also lets people use brief check‑ins, screen‑based worksheets, and shared exercises between meetings to practice skills in daily life.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
17+ years
Listed in
Illinois
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Joan help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship trouble, trauma and abuse, self‑esteem, grief, sleep problems, career worries, and life changes.
What is her approach in sessions?
She uses a mix of client-centered listening, cognitive behavioral techniques, DBT skills, and emotion-focused work. Sessions tend to be conversational with practical skill practice.
How much experience does she have?
Joan has 17 years of counseling experience working with adults on a range of mood, relationship, and adjustment concerns.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is an Illinois LCPC and practices from Illinois.
Can I work with her if I live outside the United States?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not accepting international clients at this time.
Which session formats does she offer?
Confirm current session options before booking so you know whether video or phone sessions are available.
How does cost work for sessions?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I get started with Joan?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule your first session.
Online talk therapy through BetterHelp is for adults aged 18 and over and is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the emergency numbers. Find someone else by name.