About Maxwell
Maxwell Sleep-Frankel is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in California. He brings eight years of clinical experience helping adults who face anxiety, stress, addiction, grief, and major life changes. He writes plainly and meets people where they are.
He uses a person-centered stance that keeps the client's goals central. That means sessions focus on what the person wants to change and on practical steps to get there. He blends cognitive behavioral techniques with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people notice difficult thoughts and take actions that matter to them.
Background and approach
Maxwell also draws on motivational interviewing to support movement through ambivalence. That approach is useful when someone feels stuck or uncertain about changing drinking, drug use, or other habits. Narrative therapy tools are used when people want to reframe how they tell their life story after loss or big transitions.
His work often addresses grief, chronic illness, caregiver stress, and issues that emerge with aging. He pays attention to how loss and life changes shift daily routines and relationships, and helps people rebuild meaning and purpose. Sessions aim for small, clear steps that fit into busy lives.
People meet him for practical strategies and steady support. He encourages collaboration on goals, pace, and tools so therapy feels manageable. Maxwell helps people track progress and adjust plans as needs change.
Approaches that translate well to online care
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people notice painful thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them and then choose actions that reflect their values. It works well for anxiety, stress, and life changes when the goal is to reconnect with what matters. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and trying small behavior changes to reduce distress. This approach is helpful for anxiety, depression, and building new coping skills. Motivational Interviewing is a brief, change-focused style that helps people resolve mixed feelings about changing habits like substance use by exploring personal reasons for change.Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, try methods that fit those goals, and adjust over time based on what helps most. That collaborative process lets the therapist and client decide whether to use ACT, CBT, motivational techniques, or a mix.
Online sessions offer flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Video is useful for face-to-face conversation and exercises that use worksheets or screen sharing. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or for concise check-ins. Text and chat let people send updates between sessions or use brief coaching-style exchanges. These options make it simpler to fit therapy into a busy life and keep momentum between meetings.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
Also listed
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Immigration issues
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexuality
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 8 years
- Licensed
- California
- Languages
- English
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