About Dan
– Licensed Mental Health Counselor
– Licensed Clinical Addictions Counselor
– Diplomate in Viktor Frankl’s Logotherapy
– MBTI Certified Practitioner
(574) 966-5060 ext. 101
DrDan@DanielAFranz.com
Areas of practical expertise & specialization
- Existential Analysis and Logotherapy (The Psychology of Meaning)
- Mental Health, Personal Growth & Individual Coaching.
- Substance Abuse & Addictions.
- Organizational Health & Communication.
- Leadership & Management Team Development
It amazes me how much I’ve learned and experienced through 25 years of helping others. It’s one of the great joys of being in this field – studying and learning new ways to help people, families, groups, and our communities – with the often unexpected bonus of learning about ourselves and how we exist in the world.
I started my career working in a group home with troubled adolescents as I made my way through undergraduate Psychology. From there, I worked for a much larger agency with similar clients, eventually going on to supervise the entire campus of 300+ children, adolescents, and staff. I was fortunate to experience the expansion of that agency just as I was completing my graduate studies in Counseling Psychology, allowing me the opportunity to open the agency’s Outpatient Unit. There, I worked court-ordered children, adolescents, and their families struggling with a variety of issues. Shortly after graduate school, I found my way to an innovative and successful adolescent substance abuse treatment center. I spent quite a few years with this organization working with clients, and then supervising other therapists to improve their work with our clients. Eventually, I went on to manage several facets of the operation, and several sites across the Midwest.
It amazes me how much I’ve learned and experienced through 25 years of helping others. It’s one of the great joys of being in this field – studying and learning new ways to help people, families, groups, and our communities – with the often unexpected bonus of learning about ourselves and how we exist in the world.
I started my career working in a group home with troubled adolescents as I made my way through undergraduate Psychology. From there, I worked for a much larger agency with similar clients, eventually going on to supervise the entire campus of 300+ children, adolescents, and staff. I was fortunate to experience the expansion of that agency just as I was completing my graduate studies in Counseling Psychology, allowing me the opportunity to open the agency’s Outpatient Unit. There, I worked court-ordered children, adolescents, and their families struggling with a variety of issues. Shortly after graduate school, I found my way to an innovative and successful adolescent substance abuse treatment center. I spent quite a few years with this organization working with clients, and then supervising other therapists to improve their work with our clients. Eventually, I went on to manage several facets of the operation, and several sites across the Midwest.
Eventually, my wife and I decided to settle down in rural northern Indiana to raise our children. I worked hard over the following decade to establish a group practice that allowed therapists the opportunity to work with people and families at times that are convenient for them in ways that will be most beneficial to them. I focused on offering an opportunity for therapists to come do their best work and to have the support they needed to help others to the best of their ability, while we all strived to provide a unique counseling experience – a true therapeutic relationship dedicated to fully hearing the client and being fully present, while tailoring our treatment plans to the individual needs of the client.
But eventually, I needed to go my own way to work on my doctorate, so the group practice parted ways – fortunately, we still work and collaborate in the same office complex!
Since then, I have focused on taking the knowledge, experience, and education I have received and share it on a larger scale with more people. I’ve done this through multiple avenues – corporate consulting, various media outlets like podcasting, youtube, and even traditional news media, and finally keynote and workshops speaking. Throughout my doctoral studies, I constantly stated “more people need to know about this!” – and that is my goal today, to take the concepts of Mental Health and Meaning and share them with more and more people.
I share this with you so that you may have an understanding of where I have been, where I have worked, and how that relates to my experience and ability to help you. I have worked with a diverse array of clients. I am qualified and experienced in quite a few areas – I have my favorites, of course. But I am always happy to discuss how I can bring my work to you and your organization in helpful and meaningful ways.
Since then, I have focused on taking the knowledge, experience, and education I have received and share it on a larger scale with more people. I’ve done this through multiple avenues – corporate consulting, various media outlets like podcasting, youtube, and even traditional news media, and finally keynote and workshops speaking. Throughout my doctoral studies, I constantly stated “more people need to know about this!” – and that is my goal today, to take the concepts of Mental Health and Meaning and share them with more and more people.
I share this with you so that you may have an understanding of where I have been, where I have worked, and how that relates to my experience and ability to help you. I have worked with a diverse array of clients. I am qualified and experienced in quite a few areas – I have my favorites, of course. But I am always happy to discuss how I can bring my work to you and your organization in helpful and meaningful ways.