- Client-centered support
- Trauma-informed care
- Goal-focused work
About Janel
Janel Guinane is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with ten years of experience helping people cope with stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, and major life changes. She supports people dealing with trauma and abuse, issues around body image and eating, relationship and communication problems, and the specific challenge of coping with natural or human-caused disaster. Janel emphasizes working together to clarify goals and find practical steps forward.
She began her helping career in 1997 at a residential program in San Francisco. That early work involved adults facing substance use and co-occurring mental health concerns and led her to earn a Bachelor of Social Work in 2008 and a Master of Social Work in 2010. Over the years she has worked with many populations, including youth, adults with mental illness, and people experiencing homelessness.
Janel currently manages a clinic program that assesses individuals for county mental health services and oversees a homeless day respite center connecting people to housing, food, and healthcare. Her day-to-day work blends program leadership with direct clinical thinking about people’s needs.
Her approach is client-centered, strengths-based, and humanistic. She uses Motivational Interviewing to understand each person’s perspective and priorities. She treats people as the experts in their own lives and acts as a guide and collaborator.
In sessions Janel focuses on concrete goals rather than advice. She helps people find clarity, build skills, and take steps they choose. Her background includes work with depression, anxiety, trauma, PTSD, eating disorders, and serious mental health conditions.
How these approaches shape online therapy
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on understanding the person’s view and priorities. It involves listening without judgment and helping people set their own goals, which can make sessions feel collaborative and focused. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts and behaviors connect and uses practical exercises to change patterns that worsen mood or anxiety. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a trauma-focused method that aims to reduce the intensity of traumatic memories through structured processing and bilateral stimulation; it is often used for trauma, PTSD, and related symptoms.Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, symptoms, and preferences and suggest methods that might fit best. That decision is made together and can change as the client’s needs evolve.
Confirm session options before booking, since formats are not specified in the biography. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, for example by reducing travel time or allowing a shorter check-in during a break. It also lets people use therapeutic tools and homework materials between meetings. Licensed professionals can adapt Client-Centered, CBT, and EMDR-informed work to an online setting while focusing on clear goals and practical steps.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
10+ years
Credentials
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Janel help with?
She helps people dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, trauma and abuse, and coping with life changes. Other focus areas include body image, caregiver stress, and coping with natural or human-caused disaster.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her style is client-centered, strengths-based, and humanistic. She collaborates with people to set goals and uses motivational techniques to build motivation and direction.
How much experience does she have?
She has ten years of experience as an LCSW and a helping-career that began in 1997. That history includes work in residential programs and services for people experiencing homelessness.
Where is she licensed and based?
Janel holds an LCSW credential in California and currently works in that state. She also manages a clinic program and a homeless day respite center.
Which languages are offered for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English. International clients are accepted.
What session formats are available?
Please confirm current session format options before booking, as formats are not specified in the biography. Check the therapist listing when you schedule to see what is offered.
How does pricing work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability, and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time. Exact rates should be checked when you begin the matching process.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability. The questionnaire helps match your needs and preferences.