Frances Merz, LPC

Frances Merz is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in New Jersey with 19 years of clinical counseling experience. She focuses on helping people who want to make real changes in their lives, whether that means handling a life transition, coping with stress, or finding more clarity about goals and decisions.

She works with a wide range of concerns including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, stress, low self-esteem, social anxiety and phobia, and ADHD. She also helps people facing grief, trauma and abuse, parenting strain, sleeping problems, compassion fatigue, and seasonal affective disorder. Frances lists life purpose and young adult issues among her interests as well.

Her style is collaborative and practical. She does not use a one-size-fits-all method. Instead she adapts techniques to each person’s needs and strengths. Sessions are framed as a joint effort where client effort and courage shape progress.

Frances has experience supporting people preparing for weight loss surgery or recovering after surgery. She also offers help with medical advocacy - brainstorming questions for providers and finding ways to cope with health challenges based on long personal experience in medical settings.

She typically responds to messages Monday through Thursday and aims to reply within 24 hours. Frances invites people who want problem-solving help, clearer goals, or support through life changes to explore working together.

CBT and Solution-Focused Work Online

Frances uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try practical steps to change behaviors and mood. CBT is often useful for anxiety, depression, sleeping problems, and social anxiety because it focuses on clear skills and small experiments.

She also draws on Solution-Focused Therapy, which zeroes in on current strengths and specific goals. This approach is especially helpful when someone wants targeted progress for career decisions, coping with life changes, or short-term problem solving.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Frances will talk with each person about their needs, goals, and preferences and then suggest methods that fit. She stays flexible and adjusts techniques as progress unfolds, so therapy becomes a collaborative plan rather than a fixed program.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video sessions allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging work well for flexible, between-session check-ins and brief problem-solving. These options make scheduling easier and help people keep momentum when life is busy.