Frances Berniger

Frances Berniger is a Licensed Professional Counselor with two decades of clinical experience. She works with adults, especially those over 35, who are coping with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, relationship pain, addiction, and issues related to narcissistic personality dynamics. She also helps people facing career strain, anger, low self-esteem, ADHD, and the emotional effects of caregiving or cancer.

Her background began in special education, where she spent sixteen years teaching before moving into counseling. That classroom experience shaped her patient, practical approach to therapy. In sessions she focuses on clear problem-solving and on helping people learn skills they can use outside the room.

Frances draws on a mix of methods including client-centered work, cognitive behavioral techniques, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and solution-focused strategies. She emphasizes skill building, brief goal-setting, and steady progress rather than long, abstract talk. Clients leave sessions with practical steps they can try between meetings.

She provides a calm, compassionate presence and encourages people to name what matters most to them. Therapy sessions aim to reduce overwhelm and improve day-to-day coping. Frances helps people set realistic goals and practices new ways of responding to old patterns.

Frances is licensed as an LPC in Texas and Virginia. Sessions are conducted in English. If you want to begin, use the site Start Therapy button to complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule according to the therapist's availability.

How her approaches fit online therapy

Client-centered work is about listening closely and shaping sessions around the person's priorities. It helps people feel heard and guides the pace based on what they say they need. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking and testing new behaviors, which is useful for anxiety, depression, and coping with relationship stress. Mindfulness therapy teaches simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity and improve emotional moments.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will discuss goals and preferences with each person and then recommend which methods to try first. That recommendation is collaborative and can change as therapy proceeds, based on what helps most.

Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week and to practice skills in everyday settings. Confirm the specific session options before booking, since formats noted in the original profile include audio and video but may vary. Many people find shorter check-ins useful when time is tight, while fuller video sessions work well for skills practice and deeper conversation. The focus is on making therapy practical and compatible with daily life rather than promising a particular format.