Steve L. Franks, MA, LMFT

MY SCHEDULE IS FULL; INQUIRIES WELCOME. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist offering individual therapy, couples therapy, and clinical supervision. I provide in-person appointments in North Tacoma and telehealth for clients throughout Washington State. My work focuses on individual therapy, couples therapy, and trauma-focused work within a relational, experiential, and integrative framework. While each area has its own focus, they share a common foundation: creating a space where understanding deepens, patterns can shift, and new ways of relating—to yourself and others—can emerge. In individual therapy, the focus is on your inner world—your experiences, patterns, and the ways you make meaning of your life. In couples therapy, attention expands to the relationship itself, helping to understand and shift the patterns that shape connection, communication, and emotional responsiveness. In trauma-focused work, we attend more directly to how overwhelming experiences are held in the mind and body, supporting integration so their impact becomes less constraining over time. Across all services, therapy is collaborative and paced, with attention to both understanding and meaningful change. Psychotherapy is a calling for me. The spark that began long ago has continued to grow over the decades. Being invited into the lives of others and their healing process continues to shape my own path. I remain actively engaged in learning—through professional reading, training, and consultation with colleagues—while also tending to my own personal work, relationships, and well-being. Outside of my practice, I enjoy hiking in nature, music, food, travel, time with family and friends, and quiet moments to reflect and restore. I approach people with curiosity, compassion, and respect for the complexity of human experience. Therapy offers a space to slow down, reflect, and better understand the emotional and relational patterns that shape your life—while also creating the conditions for those patterns to shift over time. Within a thoughtful and attuned therapeutic relationship, this work can lead to meaningful changes in how you experience yourself, relate to others, and respond to the challenges of your life. If you are interested in working together, you are welcome to reach out. EDUCATION Master of Arts, Marriage and Family Therapy Pacific Lutheran University, 1995 Bachelor of Arts, Psychology Central Washington University, 1991 PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS AND AFFILIATIONS Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Washington State Department of Health #LF00000875 Registered Hypnotherapist, Washington State Department of Health #HP61506065 Clinical Member, AAMFT, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Approved Supervisor, AAMFT, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Approved Supervisor, Washington State Department of Health ADVANCED AND SPECIALIZED TRAININGS AAMFT Approved Supervisor Training, Part I and II. 2008-2010. 30 hours. Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy: AEDP Immersion: The Dyadic Repair of Attachment Trauma: Healing at the Edge of Transformational Experience. 2023. 34 hours. Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) Essential Skills. 2026. 85 hours. (in progress). Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy. 2007. 60 hours. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Basic Training. 2012. 40 hours. EMDR Refresher and Update Training: In Person and Virtual Applications. 2020. 40 Hours. Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS), Level I and II. 2002-2004. 180 hours. Life Span Integration (LI), Level I and II. 2008-2009. 26 hours. Milton Erickson Foundation Intensive Training. Fundamentals and Intermediate Levels. 64 hours. 2022 – 2023. Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy (PACT) Level I. 2021. 54 Hours. Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies and Research. California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). 2024 – 2025. 140 hours. (I do not provide psychedelic-assisted therapy, administer substances, or encourage use).