Janel Guinane, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, CA

Licensed

Online Counseling

(32 reviews)

LCSW Janel Guinane

Provides online counseling through BetterHelp

Mental health conditions are real, common and treatable.

And recovery is possible.

Janel Guinane is an experienced, licensed Mental Health Professional who specializes in affordable online therapy offered through our partner, BetterHelp.

More about me

Licensing: LCSW Years in Practice: 10 State: California

My career in the helping professions started in 1997 at a residential program in San Francisco working with adults with substance use issues and co-occurring mental health disorders. At this time, one did not need a degree in substance use counseling to work in this area and I was able to gain a great deal of experience. This launched a long road of determination to attain a Bachelor's degree in Social Work in 2008 and then a Master's in Social Work in 2010. Throughout my educational years and afterward, I worked with several different populations such as children, teens, TAY, former foster youth, homeless youth, adults with mental illness, homeless adults, and those arrested for alcohol and/or drug related offenses. I am currently a Program Manager of a Clinic that assesses individuals with mental health disorders for County treatment services as well as a homeless day respite center that connects unhoused persons with housing, food, healthcare, etc. My treatment approach is one that is Client-Centered, Strength's-Based, and Humanistic. I utilize Motivational Interviewing to gain knowledge into my Client's perspective and objectives. I believe that every person in an expert in their own life and that I act only as a guide and collaborator to help my clients reach their goals and enrich their lives. I have had experiences working with those with depression, anxiety disorders, trauma, eating disorders, PTSD, schizophrenia and various other conditions. My goal is to work with the client on their goals and not to give advice, which I find is less than effective. Many times individuals already know what they need and are seeking guidance, clarity, and the care of someone to be authentic and responsive to those needs.

About online counseling

Online counseling allows you to receive care from an online mental health practitioner via phone, video chat, or instant messaging. It is convenient for those who may have trouble getting to or would prefer not to have in-person therapy appointments. Starting at $65 per week, online counseling is generally more affordable than in-person counseling. A study by researchers at University of California, Berkeley found that online counseling can be just as effective as face-to-face therapy while being more convenient, affordable, and accessible.

Issues: Stress Anxiety Addictions Parenting issues Self esteem Depression LGBT Relationship issues Family conflicts Trauma and abuse Eating disorders Anger management Career difficulties Bipolar disorder Coping with life changes Coaching Compassion fatigue
Languages Spoken: English

Services offered

Professional, confidential, and judgment-free

When you tap CHAT NOW a new window will open and you'll be directed to a simple form that will help start the conversation.

Please note: It can take up to 24-48 hours to be matched to a therapist.

Reviews for Janel Guinane

Overall Rating

Rate Janel How was your experience?

Overall

Janel is an excellent counsellor. She is very helpful and pleasant to work with.

Janel is a caring and compassionate therapist with a wealth of insight into trauma, addiction, and relationship issues. I saw her for a year and a half for grief counseling following a loss in my family, ensuing family issues involving addiction, and PTSD related to sexual trauma. She always made me feel listened to, asked thoughtful questions that helped me process and reframe my thoughts and feelings, and gave me a ton of support and empowerment as I focused on healing and growing. We agreed to do some EMDR sessions for my PTSD, which helped me make a lot of progress. She is an absolutely wonderful therapist who I would recommend to everyone.

Janel has helped me through a tough time and is an excellent listener and therapist.

Was a therapist newbie, and Janel eased me into the practice and helped me a lot to learn more about myself. Wonderful and professional.

Janel has helped me through a dark time and I’m very thankful for that!

I really like Janel's balance between listening and offering up modalities and ideas for processing my challenges.

EMDR! Great!

Janel is an amazing therapist!

A great, safe and secure experience and a steady, reliable insight. Thanks a lot.

Still waiting to chat personally. Bit very happy so far

Janel is kind, supportive and wise. She's been great to work with and I'd recommend her as a therapist.

I’ve been working with Janel since July 2021. She’s very kind, understanding, compassionate, & her voice/mannerisms are very calming. I’m very fortunate to have matched with her as my first-ever therapist! Highly recommend!

I liked it, i’m still new here. I will need more time to experience it all to be able to have a feedback

Janel is great. She makes getting help easy and non-judgmental. I look forward to talking with her and I like thinking about our conversation after the fact. She sends me things to read and worksheets to complete that help me with different areas we discuss. She makes herself available and shows genuine care.

Janel is a very compassionate partner. She makes it easy to talk about intimate and complex issues.

Janel is one of the loveliest people I've met. She creates an understanding and safe space and is very easy to talk to. Another thing I loved about her is that from day 1 she wrote down notes during our sessions. This is something I didn't see other therapists do and it made me feel that she was invested in me and was making sure to do her best.

Thank you for helping me

I have had a few sessions with Janel already. As someone whom has never had therapy before - she provides sound advice and is a good listener.

I was apprehensive about joining BetterHelp and I’m delighted to say I really shouldn’t have been. Janel was the first therapist I matched with and I’ve stuck with her for almost a year now. I felt very at ease with Janel after just a few sessions. And we instantly began to work on issues I had. She always listens to me very actively and provides helpful feedback. She sends me useful worksheets to try or info to read up on. The exercises she sets between sessions are useful for my long term life. Janel has done a session with me almost every week since I joined. Whenever I message her in between she always responds. And she has always encouraged me to get in touch any time I need it. I appreciate her so much, she has given me such a wonderful and positive therapy experience. And has been such a consistent support as I battle my mental illness. From where I was a year ago, to today, things have really changed for me. I was in a dark space and Janel helped me take the steps to start getting better. I am thankful. If you have the opportunity of matching with Janel, you are in safe hands.

She’s great.

Janel is extremely easy to talk to and open up to. She creates a safe space that's free of judgement. I don't feel restricted or embarrassed when speaking with Janel at all. She doesn't invalidate how I'm feeling or the experiences I have had. Would 100% recommend Janel, she's absolutely wonderful. :)

Janel is very understanding, supportive, non-judgemental and non-bias and insightful. She listens to me intently and sympathetically and is professional and analytical in her advice. I highly recommend Janel!

Janel continues to be a good fit for my needs. She is helping me look at things from different perspectives.

I had 4 session with Janel and it’s been a great process. Talking to her about my problems made me see them in a different perspective. She listen and shows sympathy. She give great advice. Advice I need to hear and it makes me want to do better. She also genuinely concern and makes me feel like I can text her at anytime. I Would recommend her to a friend.

Janel is a very compassionate and thoughtful therapist. She has helpful suggestions and thought provoking impulses which is exactly what I need.

I've only had a few appointments with Janel so far, but she seems really lovely and is a very supportive individual. I'm looking forward to continuing to work with her, and see the ways in which that work transforms and progresses.

I was going through a rough time and needed someone to help and listen, I knew there were things that are not right, how I formed my relationship with my family, and the way I have behaved since I was young, but I didn’t know what they were or how to deal with them. I was so scared at first but after my first session with Janel, I felt at ease! She made sure I was comfortable, she listened, was never judgmental and helped me with coping strategies to get me through such a difficult time. I’m on my 3rd session with her and would recommend Betterhelp and especially Janel. Thank you for everything.

A great support! Janel shows a sympathetic approach and is understanding. She provides you with methods that actually. I would highly recommend her.

Janel is an amazing listener, and makes me feel that we are having a causal conversation, while giving me really helpful advice. She always makes me feel very at ease!

After my first session with Janel, I really enjoyed my session with her and felt I wasn’t able to express myself so openly. It’s been a hard journey for me to ever open up first let alone seem professional help. Janel made me feel like she was in my bible with me and helped me find way to tackle my day to day struggles. I’m looking forward to our future sessions. Thank you Janel ❤️

Janel has a calm, compassionate manner. Janel is a good listener and is very supportive.

Gets to the point. Gives me really valuable tools. Listens to me...really listens....to my endless endless endless talking....

Rate Janel Guinane

About you