Dr. Francine Kleinpaste , LPC

Dr. Francine Kleinpaste is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) based in Pennsylvania with 22 years of experience. She helps people who are dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, relationship problems, and LGBT concerns. She aims to make the first steps toward change feel manageable and respectful.

She keeps sessions focused and practical. Her style is collaborative and down-to-earth. She gives straightforward tools and listens for what matters most to each person.

Her work often addresses difficult experiences such as sexual abuse and domestic violence. She also supports people exploring gender dysphoria, body image, and identity within alternative sexual cultures like BDSM and kink. She helps those coping with caregiver stress, isolation, and life transitions such as divorce and midlife shifts.

Dr. Kleinpaste uses a mix of approaches to match each person’s needs. She draws on client-centered methods to prioritize the person’s goals, and uses cognitive behavioral and trauma-focused techniques when people need concrete skills to reduce symptoms. Dialectical behavior and solution-focused strategies are used when emotion regulation or quick, practical changes are the focus.

Outside of work she enjoys travel, family time with her children and grandchildren, and experimenting with hydroponic gardening. Her blend of long experience and practical methods aims to help people regain balance and move toward clearer choices.

How her approaches work online

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on understanding each person's goals and priorities. The therapist listens carefully and follows the person's lead to build trust and clarity, which helps people feel heard and decide what to change.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at patterns of thoughts and behaviors and teaches concrete skills to reduce anxiety, panic, and depressive symptoms. It often includes practical homework and step-by-step strategies to test new ways of thinking.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, teaches emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and communication skills. It is useful when strong emotions or repeated high-stress reactions make daily life harder.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the person about their needs, goals, and preferences, and then recommend methods that fit. Plans can change as progress is made and new needs appear.

Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video works well for in-depth conversations and visual cues, phone calls can fit a busy schedule or lower bandwidth, live chat is good for quick check-ins, and messaging lets people reflect between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, family life, or travel while keeping the focus on steady progress.