Franco E. Santos is a Marriage and Family Therapist-Intern/Psychotherapist (Intern No.: IMF 61114) in Tarzana, California*. Franco provides individual counseling, couples/marital counseling, family counseling, parent-child counseling, and group counseling. Franco E. Santos helps clients find resolution to a wide variety of emotional and relational problems including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and marital/family conflicts.

Franco "Frank" Espeleta Santos, M.A., attended Phillips Graduate Institute in Encino, California, and received a Master of Arts degree in Psychology, Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT). Franco received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from California State University, Northridge (CSUN).

Franco is available for private consultation in Tarzana, California, which is centrally located in the San Fernando Valley and approximately 15 miles from downtown Los Angeles.  Surrounding cities include Northridge, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Encino, Reseda, Canoga Park, Winnetka, Sylmar, North Hills, Agoura Hills, and West Hills.

In Practice : Theoretical Orientation/Modality:

Franco E. Santos, M.A. believes in the collaborative process in therapy.  In Franco Santos' view, therapy is a partnership, a journey undertaken by the client and Franco that is based upon mutual respect and curiosity.

In the initial stages of psychotherapy, Franco Santos utilizes Bowen Family Systems theory to guide the client in the exploration of the client's significant family history and to help both client and therapist understand the contributing factors that has led to the client's presenting problem and the client's maladaptive automatic coping mechanism.  As psychotherapy progresses, these automatic coping mechanisms are challenged.  Among other theories, Franco E. Santos utilizes Cognitive Behavior Therapy to examine the benefits and consequences of the client's current response mechanisms to current functioning as well as explore and challenge underlying thoughts and feelings that contribute to the maintenance of maladaptive behavior.  In therapy, alternatives are examined, and out-of-session activities are discussed, assigned and encouraged to facilitate real world practice of in-session insights.

Personal Philosophy, Existentialism:

As a way of life, Existentialism places great importance on the here and now. It requires the acknowledgment that life is passing and to attain happiness, one must stop and appreciate the beauty of one’s surroundings, to choose one’s company, to consciously partake in everything that life has to offer rather than allow the self to be lulled into a false sense of security that life is everlasting. By taking an active role in life along with all its little nuances and decision making, the person ceases to become a victim of his environment but a co-author of his new, meaningful life.

An Existential life does not only require the person to appreciate his or her surrounding, existentialism also dictates an honest interaction with others. Simply put, if you knew that this moment is the last moment you have with your loved one, would you not hug a little tighter, cry a little harder, laugh a little louder? To practice the aforesaid in your interaction with friends and loved ones, which Franco calls the Long Goodbye, has the effect of making one’s relationships closer and more meaningful — with each hello an opportunity to rejoice, with each parting an opportunity to say how much one appreciates the other.

*(Encino is centrally located in the San Fernando Valley and approximately 15 miles from downtown Los Angeles.  Surrounding cities include Tarzana, Balboa, Northridge, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Reseda, Canoga Park, Winnetka, Sylmar, North Hills, Agoura Hills, and West Hills.)