Imani Francis

I'm Imani — a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) based in California offering telehealth sessions to adults, teens, and couples. I specialize in trauma, anxiety, depression, racial and cultural stress, maternal mental health, and relationships. As a Black cisgender woman, I bring lived experience and genuine cultural understanding to my work — especially with BIPOC clients, women of color, and LGBTQIA+ individuals who are looking for a therapist who truly gets it without needing an explanation.

I've worked with survivors of intimate partner violence, individuals navigating racial identity, new and expecting parents, and people who are simply exhausted and need a real space to breathe. My clients often describe me as warm, funny when it's called for, and deeply present. I take therapy seriously — and I also know healing doesn't have to be heavy every single session.

I work collaboratively and intuitively, pulling from whatever combination of approaches best fits you — not the other way around. I'm trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Trauma-Focused CBT, the Gottman Method for couples, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), somatic techniques, and person-centered, humanistic frameworks.

In practice, that means we might work through thought patterns and triggers one week, slow down and tune into what your body is carrying the next, and then zoom out to look at the bigger relationship dynamics or life story that shaped everything. I also bring a lens of racial and cultural awareness into every session — because the systems and experiences you've moved through don't stay outside the therapy room.

You can expect to exhale! Our first session isn't an interrogation — it's a conversation. We'll talk about what brought you in, what's been on your mind lately, and what you're hoping therapy might do for you. I'll ask questions to understand your story, and you can ask me anything too — about my style, my experience, how I work.

There's no pressure to share everything at once. We build this at your pace. By the end of our first session, you'll have a clearer sense of what working together could look like, and we'll start sketching out a direction that actually fits your life and goals — not a generic treatment plan.