Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Katherine Franco. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Katherine, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

The best thing my mother did for myself as well as my siblings was understanding and accept, she was not ready to be a mother and allow my grandmother to raise us instead. We hear many stories about children growing up in “broken”, unstable homes where the parents were not fully capable of providing a safe environment due to their substance use or just a lack of readiness to be a parent. My mother while I’m sure when we were younger had hoped for the opposite didn’t fight my grandmother for custody of us and I wholeheartedly believe that’s because she knew she was doing the right thing for US and not herself. I know where there were moments when she would tell my grandmother she was going to fight for custody and get her children back in her care, but she never did, and I think it’s the best decision she ever made.

Katherine, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over ten years of various experiences in the social work field. I graduated in 2009 with my bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Hunter College and after taking a year off school I was able to earn my master’s degree in social work at New York University. After earning my MSW Degree in 2012 I went directly into agency work and gained my first experience with treatment family foster care. While working in treatment family foster care I was able to learn about the legal requirements of becoming a foster parent, adopting children and the ins and outs of being a supportive system for children who have experienced traumas at early ages. Once I obtained my NYS License in Social Work, I transitioned to providing individual and family therapeutic services in one of the largest New York City Outpatient Mental Health Clinics. Majority of my experience throughout this time involved working with adults, adolescents, children and their families. I was able to support parents as they learned to address their children’s behaviors with appropriate and effective methods in and out of the therapy setting to better improve their relationships. In April 2019 I became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker as well as a Program Director for an outpatient mental health program located in the Bronx, NY. As a Program Director I have been able to see all aspects of this field from being a therapeutic support to my clients, while also being able to identify the needs of the clients and program needs to make sure they are in the most suitable and quality driven setting.

As a therapist I have had the opportunity to work with clients (adults and children) who have diagnosis of Major Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, Schizophrenia, Schizo-affective disorder, ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and so on. As I have worked with a wide variety of clients, I have learned that as each individual is unique in their own way they also require unique interventions to best address their needs in the therapeutic setting. No two clients are exactly the same and so I have been able to develop my skills through training in motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, person-centered treatment, recovery model treatment, narrative therapy, solution focused treatment, and so on. I have strongly believed that each individual could benefit from therapy at some point in their life, and while a traditional setting is great there is so much more which can be offered. Many individuals throughout their life have experienced a life changing event which they maybe could not identify the tools to move forward. This is where I hope to be of assistance to you. My purpose here is to help you in developing the best coping tools to address those events which may be causing you feelings of anxiety, low motivation, low self-esteem, self-doubt, confusion, etc. As previously mentioned each individual is unique and require a unique outlet. I have been exposed to many individuals with a creative outlet who have used this to place their energy into their work, art, music, photography, dance, etc. It brings a sense of peace and tranquility as they are subconsciously being utilized as coping tools for a greater portion of their lives and so I have incorporated art into my work with children as well as adults. It allows for a form of expression, specifically in cases which you may not always be able to identify the best words to describe what you have/are experiencing.

While working with me you can expect a sense of comfort as I promise to always meet you where you are while providing support and encouragement to move you along in achieving your goals. I have been known to be empathetic, understanding and will provide guidance without a sense of judgement. I strive to aid each individual in reaching their full life potential. Be prepared to address your comfort zone, and eventually step out of that comfort zone with the use of unique and creative therapeutic approaches. Lets get creative in our self-exploration and self-development.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

The most important quality one can have in this field is kindness, compassion and empathy. Without those attributes it will be very difficult to serve the different populations we work with in the social work field. We must be here to better improve the lives of those we work with.

Any advice for managing a team?

Celebrate your staff! What I enjoy most about leading a small team is being able to always celebrate them in their largest and even smallest accomplishments. We celebrate birthdays, holidays together. Graduations, or passing exams. I also believe team building activities are a great way to keep the morale up.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.creativecopingcounselingservices.com
• Instagram: creative.coping_
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CreativeCopingCounseling
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kfranco0787/