Individual Therapy/Counseling (Adults):

In individual counseling, Franco Santos works with the client to explore and help the client understand the factors that has led the client to his/her presenting problem(s) as well as triggers and coping strategies that serve to maintain the problem(s).  From this insight and understanding, Franco works with and helps the client develop alternative coping strategies to overcome present and future stressors, and enhance the client's relationship(s).

Session length:  50 minutes.
Rate:  $75/session

Individual Therapy/Counseling (Child and Adolescent Counseling):

Unlike adults, children's and adolescents' behavior often are reactionary to their environmental stressors and are more susceptible to internalize family difficulties.  Presenting symptoms in response to stressors can range from shutting down and isolating (depression) to lashing out (opposition and defiance).  Not addressed, the child or adolescent's coping mechanism can lead to drug use, gang involvement, and teen pregnancy.  Because the child/adolescent is subject to the dynamic interplay of the family, counseling for children and adolescents typically require the involvement of significant family members on a regular basis.

Session length:  50 minutes.
Rate:  $75/session

Couple's Therapy/Counseling:

Couples enter into relationship with each individual having his/her own expectations that arise from a lifelong experience derived prior to the relationship.  When these expectations conflict, the resulting stress on the relationship can become overwhelming that communication further breaks down.  Franco E. Santos helps couple explore each member's relational expectations through the analysis of each's family of origin, patterns of communication, triggers and automatic response mechanism that both maintain the maladaptive relational style.  Role playing, modeling and alternative communication styles are examined in session to test their effectiveness.

Session length:  50 minutes.
Rate:  $95/session

Family Therapy/Counseling:

Of all the relationships we have, the family is the core.  From the family children learn their future roles (e.g., how to be parents, how to be a spouse, etc.).  While for some a refuge from outside stressors (school, work), it is within the family that many feel the most stress.  There are numerous events within and outside the family that can challenge even the most cohesive system:  e.g., economic hardship, changing needs of individual members of the family (e.g., child(ren) growing to be teenager(s) and demanding more flexibility), death, marriage/remarriage, divorce, migration, etc.  Each family member creates for him/herself a meaning to these events and may behave in ways that some members of the family may not view as constructive, helpful, or at worse, cause even more stress.

In family therapy, Franco Santos views the family unit as the client.  Each family member's behavior, feelings, and understanding of the family structure and dynamics are explored within the family setting to enable family members to understand each others' interpretations and expectations.  Franco Santos works with and helps the family to adapt to and overcome challenges by helping the family recognize positive family attributes.

Session length:  50 minutes.
Rate:  $95/session

Group Therapy/Counseling:

Unlike Family Therapy/Counseling, members of a Group Therapy/Counseling are strangers to each other and are bound only by their common presenting problem(s).  Group Therapy/Counseling utilizes the cumulative experience of the members to help each member explore the triggers of the individual member's maladaptive behavior and factors that serve to maintain it.

Session length:  90 minutes to 120 minutes, depending upon group size (maximum of 8).
Rate:  $35/person

Franco E. Santos, M.A. is a Marriage and Family Therapist Intern (Reg. #IMF 61114) and holds a Master of Arts degree in Psychology.  For more information, Franco E. Santos can be reached by e-mail.