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Joan French, LCPC

Experienced mental health professional

Provides online counseling through BetterHelp

At a glance

Joan is an experienced, licensed Mental Health Professional who specializes in affordable online therapy offered through our partner, BetterHelp.

4.5 stars
Clients are very satisfied with Joan. View 37 reviews
Speaks English
Offers Telehealth visits
Licensed in Illinois

Recent reviews

Joan is so kind and so reassuring. She makes me feel like everything is going to be okay. We laugh a lot and sometimes we cry a lot. And I feel comfortable to tell her anything.

Reviewed November 2024

I would recommend Joan French because of her vast knowledge, deep empathy and her top notch ability to develop a solid and safe rapport with clients! She also has a sense of humor that brings a necessary levity to emotionally raw sessions, and a warm, compassionate heart that shines through all of her advice and guidance! I would highly recommend Joan French to anyone starting their therapy journey!

Reviewed September 2024

More about Joan

  • 17 years' experience
  • Female
  • LCPC

I've met with many clients who have shared they don't feel really heard or understood by others. As a result-they feel lonely, isolated, and hopeless. I believe that to feel a sense of personal wellness we must also feel heard & connected!

Finding and connecting with a counselor is a valuable and courageous choice to move forward! It is important for me to create a space where my clients feel trusting and comfortable. This space is a 'judgement-free zone'. I want to create an atmosphere in relationship to my clients in which they can share those things which might feel 'unspeakable'. It has been my experience that those are the things that need saying.

I have a well-seasoned 17+ years of experience working as a therapeutic counselor. I am thankful to be able to do this work! I consider myself to be a resourceful, creative, & patient therapist with a robust combination of life experience, clinical expertise, and therapeutic skill.

My trauma-informed approach may be considered integrative, as I will often utilize techniques from: CBT, DBT, IFS, Positive Communication Skill Building, Anger Management, and Art Therapy. I must also add here that I try to incorporate humor, when appropriate. Let's call this 'chuckle healing'.

Currently I am accepting individual adult clients 18+. I see a wide variety of clients seeking treatment for depression, anxiety, adjustment concerns, and more. Additionally, I welcome those who identify as LGBTQIA2S+, or who are exploring/questioning.

I received my Master of Arts Degree in Community Counseling from Governors State University, and I received an Art Therapy Certificate from Northwestern University.

I'd consider it an honor to be a part of your journey.

Specialties

Stress Anxiety Relationship issues Trauma and abuse Self esteem Depression LGBT Family conflicts Grief Sleeping disorders Career difficulties Coping with life changes Abandonment Attachment issues Codependency Commitment issues Communication problems Control issues Divorce and separation Emptiness Family of origin issues Family problems Forgiveness Gender dysphoria Guilt and shame Isolation / loneliness Jealousy Life purpose Midlife crisis Mood disorders Multicultural concerns Narcissism Panic disorder and panic attacks Postpartum depression Post-traumatic stress Pregnancy and childbirth Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Self-harm Self-love Sexuality Social anxiety and phobia Women's issues Workplace issues Young adult issues

Treatment Approaches

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
  • Client-Centered Therapy
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
  • Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
  • Gottman Method
  • Mindfulness Therapy
  • Trauma-Focused Therapy
  • Internal Family Systems

Licenses

Joan French's National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1710281639.

  • LCPC · Illinois · 180.007674 · Expires March 2025

About online counseling

Affordable.
Pay a low flat fee.
Convenient.
Do it at your own time and at your own pace. Communicate whenever you feel it's needed.
Available now.
There is no waiting list and no calls to make. Simply fill out a short questionnaire and send your first message.

Online counseling allows you to receive care from a mental health practitioner via phone, video chat, or instant messaging. It is convenient for those who may have trouble getting to or would prefer not to have in-person therapy appointments. Starting at $65 per week, online counseling is generally more affordable than in-person counseling. A study by researchers at University of California, Berkeley found that online counseling can be just as effective as face-to-face therapy while being more convenient, affordable, and accessible.

Reviews for Joan French

All reviews have been submitted by clients after seeing the provider.

Overall rating:

4.5

37 reviews

5
4
3
2
1

Clients mention: Helped Great Recommend Helpful Amazing Supportive Understanding Wonderful Comfortable Helping

Joan is so kind and so reassuring. She makes me feel like everything is going to be okay. We laugh a lot and sometimes we cry a lot. And I feel comfortable to tell her anything.

Reviewed November 2024

I would recommend Joan French because of her vast knowledge, deep empathy and her top notch ability to develop a solid and safe rapport with clients! She also has a sense of humor that brings a necessary levity to emotionally raw sessions, and a warm, compassionate heart that shines through all of her advice and guidance! I would highly recommend Joan French to anyone starting their therapy journey!

Reviewed September 2024

She is the best! She has helped me so much it’s only been three sessions it is amazing!!

Reviewed September 2024

Joan is helpful and easy to talk to.

Reviewed July 2024

Joan is so kind and understanding!

Reviewed July 2024

Insightful and asks the right questions.

Reviewed April 2024

She was awesome and really helped me make some big strides forward. I will forever be grateful.

Reviewed December 2019

Joan is a very intuitive, creative, compassionate therapist ~ she has been so helpful and supportive. I highly recommend her!

Reviewed November 2023

Joan is thoughftul and supportive. I feel like she really listened to me and communicated to me on my level while taking my concerns seriously. Talking with Joan is an amazing experience.

Reviewed September 2023

Joan was very approaching and understanding given that my ethnic background can differ from others, she was able to help me thru a lot of issues and also gave me great tools to apply into my daily life so I won't fall back into my depression.

Reviewed August 2023

Joan and I have only spoken twice so far, but we have already began heading down the right path to my mental health. Looking forward to future sessions!

Reviewed December 2022

I am so glad that I found Joan on BetterHelp. She is a kind, caring and compassionate guide as I continue to navigate early trauma and how it has impacted my life. I truly want to live a life where I am my top priority and she is helping me get there, my future is brighter with her as my guide.

Reviewed September 2022

Joan is a great therapist and really cares for her clients but, if want consistency in meeting every week, she may not be the therapist for you.

Reviewed June 2022

She’s so wonderful! Incredibly helpful and professional!

Reviewed June 2022

Great therapist, helped a lot

Reviewed April 2022

Joan is an amazing listener, she is attentive to all my needs. She makes therapy feel like a regular conversation with a few jokes here and there. Makes you feel good.

Reviewed November 2021

Joan is incredible! She's kind and compassionate and a very good listener. She offers great advice and I'd happily recommend her to anyone looking for some extra help in their life.

Reviewed November 2021

Joan has been very helpful in my journey so far. She meets with me on a weekly basis and then checks in on me throughout the week. She also takes the time to send me articles and worksheets to complete, which is something that I encourage because it helps me understand topics and prompts questions.

Reviewed August 2021

I have been talking with Joan on and off for almost 2 years. She has helped me with multiple life changes that I was really struggling with. She is so supportive and caring and thoughtful and FUN! I always laugh with her and sometimes cry. I feel very comfortable being myself with her and always recommend BetterHelp because of her quality counseling.

Reviewed April 2021

I have accomplished so much in the few sessions I’ve had with Joan. I’m incredibly thankful for this pairing as I feel she possesses the proper tools for this part of my healing journey.

Reviewed December 2020

I’ve only worked with Joan for a short time now, but she gets me. I appreciate how patient and accommodating she is. I’m so happy that I not only got started on this journey, but that I got matched with someone like Joan. She truly is the best. Don’t just take my word though. You have to talk to her yourself!

Reviewed November 2020

Joan is really sweet yet stern and honest when she needs to be.

Reviewed September 2020

There are times when Joan is the only thing in my life that helps me and I feel so supported and helped by her

Reviewed September 2020

I haven't been working with Joan long, but I feel very supported and open with her. She gives me hope in myself.

Reviewed August 2020

Shes great. She listens to me and what im going through. I would recommend her for sure. Shes there for you and a great all around person. Makes counseling feel like i have someone there for me.

Reviewed August 2020

Joan is a very understanding and approachable counselor. She does a great job of getting to know you and what works best for the patients experience. She challenges you in ways that are not overwhelming but are very successful. She also peppers in some comedic relief which can keep things fresh. I would recommend her to anyone but especially to people who might need an extra push when it comes to opening up and getting the best experience out of counseling.

Reviewed July 2020

I'm so grateful that I had the opportunity to speak with and learn from Joan over the last 5 months. I felt very seen and understood. I can’t thank her enough for that incredible gift. I've referred to her as my angel because she helped me tackle issues that I thought would trap me in an unhappy life. She helped me realize that there are so many perspectives and techniques that I can use to chip away at the big problematic icebergs blocking me from peace and joy. Joan was like the wise, funny sister that I always wanted. She’s always understanding and curious and never judgmental, no matter what kind of weird stuff I wanted to discuss.

Reviewed December 2019

Joan is empathetic and so easy to speak to. I would recommend her to anyone and she has really helped me to feel heard and "felt".

Reviewed November 2019

Best counselor have ever had even though I haven't had her for very long. So far feel like my life is getting better really wanting to do more with her. Maybe go so far as to have couples counseling with me and my better half. Extremely happy best counselor ever don't know what I'd do without her.

Reviewed November 2019

Joan helped me immensely following the breakup with my fiancé. I really like Joan a lot. She’s kind, compassionate, and funny. There were times where I’d start a session feeling extremely depressed, and somehow this woman always made me feel special and beautiful upon session termination. She also did a wonderful job identifying and addressing other stressers /concerns in my life. The homework she assigns is awesome! I still journal to this day.

Reviewed November 2019

Joan is kind, patient and personable and truly listens.

Reviewed September 2019

Joan has been such a great support during my time in need. I find our weekly sessions incredibly helpful! Always end up with a feeling of relief.

Reviewed August 2019

Joan was absolutely wonderful. She was attentive and thoughtful, offering good insight into the topics I brought up. My time with her was short but productive!

Reviewed August 2019

Joan takes time to process all my concerns and it really shows she is listening and taking into account all aspects of my troubles, she is very calming and willing to help and supportive of my counseling goals.

Reviewed November 2018

I really enjoy the sessions with Joan. She is kind, funny and really listens to the problems you have and offers great perspective.

Reviewed November 2018

It can be tough to find the right counselor and I was really lucky to get Joan. We clicked immediately. She is very empathetic and intuitive and patient and uses a wide variety of tools and materials and articles to help give you perspective. I came to her with a long-standing problem I've had in my life, dealing with intrusive bitter memories stemming from childhood emotional trauma that have been hurting the quality of my life for a long time. She quickly recommended techniques that really helped me get to the core wound and start to heal it. I was really stuck and she helped me make real progress with creative solutions. She is also just a wonderful, kindhearted person and a dream to work with. I can't recommend her highly enough.

Reviewed November 2018

Joan French is amazing! She is really nice and kind. I love how she uses different techniques to help you, for instance art therapy. Art therapy has been helping me heal from the traumatic event that I have been through, and also helping me express how and what I am feeling! She also makes you feel comfortable to talk to her. And she also give you good feedback and will explain something to you if you don’t understand. And one last thing, if you do the homework assignment as she calls them; you will get more out of therapy. Your not just talking to her, but also do activities that will help you heal, and or move past what your going though.

Reviewed July 2018

How was your experience with Joan?

Frequently asked questions

Does Joan French offer telehealth visits?

Yes. Joan French works with clients by exchanging messages, chatting live, speaking over the phone, or video conferencing based on what works for the client at that particular time.

What language(s) does Joan French speak?

Joan French speaks English.

How many years of experience does Joan French have?

Joan French has 17 years of experience.

Where is Joan French licensed to practice?

Joan French is licensed to practice in Illinois.

Does Joan French accept clients outside of the United States?

No, Joan French does not accept clients outside of the United States.

Is online therapy as effective as in-person therapy?

Numerous studies support the effectiveness of online platforms in facilitating life changes. For instance, research published by JMIR Publications, conducted by teams from the University of Berkeley, UCSF, and SF General Hospital, found that "users of BetterHelp experienced significantly reduced depression symptom severity after engaging with the platform."

What treatment approaches does Joan French offer?

Joan French offers clients Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), Gottman Method, Mindfulness Therapy, Trauma-Focused Therapy, and Internal Family Systems.

How can I communicate with Joan French?

Joan French can be engaged in any one of four ways: (1) Exchanging messages, (2) chatting live, (3) speaking over the phone, or (4) video conferencing. You can use different ways at different times as you wish, based on your needs, availability, and convenience.

How do I get started with Joan French?

Just tap the CHAT NOW button or tap here: A new window will open and you'll be directed to a simple form that will help start the conversation. Please note: It can take up to a few days to be matched to a therapist.

Mental health conditions are real, common, and treatable.

And recovery is possible.

Messaging
Live Chat
Phone
Video

When you tap CHAT NOW a new window will open and you'll be directed to a simple form that will help start the conversation. Please note: It can take up to a few days to be matched to a therapist.