Isabella Franks, M.S.

Psychological Associate - Therapist in San Diego

Isabella Franks, M.Ed., M.S. is a Psychological Associate in California practicing under the supervision of Dr. Hosanna Bonn (PSY36402). She works with adults, adolescents, college students, athletes, performers, and other high-achieving individuals navigating anxiety, depression, trauma-related concerns, burnout, perfectionism, identity concerns, relationship difficulties, performance pressure, and major life transitions.

Isabella supports clients who may feel overwhelmed, stuck, disconnected, or uncertain about how to move forward in their personal, academic, professional, or relational lives. She is particularly interested in working with high-achieving individuals—including athletes, musicians, performers, students, and professionals—who want not only relief from distress but also a deeper understanding of themselves and the patterns shaping their lives.

Isabella’s clinical style is warm, genuine, collaborative, and relational. She helps clients explore how relationships, cultural identities, and past experiences influence how they see themselves and relate to others. She is passionate about helping clients approach longstanding patterns with greater curiosity and self-compassion, strengthen their connection with themselves and others, and move toward lives that feel more authentic, meaningful, and fulfilling.

You Might Be a Good Fit for Isabella If You are…

Experiencing anxiety, depression, stress, or emotional overwhelm
Struggling with perfectionism, self-criticism, or low self-worth
Feeling burned out by pressure, expectations, or high achievement
Navigating performance anxiety, confidence concerns, or fear of failure
A high-achieving student, professional, athlete, musician, or performer
Adjusting to injury, graduation, relocation, career changes, or other life transitions
Exploring identity, belonging, self-worth, or personal growth
Feeling disconnected from yourself or others
Struggling with people-pleasing, emotional suppression, or relationship patterns
Wanting to build more authentic, meaningful, and fulfilling relationships

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Anxiety, Perfectionism, and Burnout

Anxiety, perfectionism, and chronic stress can make it difficult to slow down, feel present, or recognize your own needs. Isabella works with clients who may appear capable and successful on the outside while privately experiencing self-doubt, exhaustion, emotional overwhelm, or fear of falling short. These concerns may show up as: Chronic worry, overthinking, or difficulty relaxing Perfectionism, fear of failure, or high self-expectations Difficulty resting without feeling guilty Harsh self-criticism or low self-worth Feeling responsible for meeting everyone’s expectations Burnout related to school, work, athletics, or other demands Isabella helps clients understand the emotional, relational, and internal pressures that contribute to anxiety, perfectionism, and burnout. Therapy can help clients develop greater self-compassion, create more sustainable expectations, manage stress, and build a sense of self-worth that is not dependent solely on achievement or productivity.

Relationships, Identity, and Life Transitions

Relationships and major life transitions can bring questions about identity, belonging, trust, self-worth, and direction. Isabella works with clients who want to better understand how relationships, cultural expectations, and experiences of connection or disconnection influence how they see themselves and relate to others. These concerns may show up as: People-pleasing or difficulty expressing your needs Fear of rejection, conflict, or emotional vulnerability Feeling disconnected from yourself or others Difficulty trusting, relying on, or connecting with people Uncertainty about identity, values, belonging, or self-worth Adjusting to relocation, graduation, career changes, or other major transitions Isabella provides a warm, collaborative space to explore these patterns with curiosity rather than judgment. Therapy can support greater self-understanding, healthier communication, stronger boundaries, and more authentic relationships that feel mutual, supportive, and meaningful.

Athletes, Performers, and High-Achieving Individuals

Athletes, musicians, performers, students, and professionals often experience significant pressure to perform, remain composed, and continue moving forward even when they are struggling internally. Isabella has extensive experience supporting individuals in high-performance and collegiate athletic environments and understands how achievement can become closely connected to identity, self-worth, relationships, and emotional well-being. These concerns may show up as: Performance anxiety, confidence concerns, or fear of failure Difficulty coping with mistakes, setbacks, or criticism Injury, loss of a role, or changes in athletic or professional performance Burnout, reduced motivation, or emotional exhaustion Feeling defined by success, achievement, or productivity Uncertainty about who you are beyond your performance or accomplishments Isabella helps athletes, performers, and other high-achieving individuals explore the personal and relational pressures shaping their experiences. Therapy can support greater confidence, emotional flexibility, resilience, and self-compassion while helping clients develop a fuller sense of identity beyond achievement.

Isabella’s Approach to Therapy

Isabella’s approach to therapy is grounded in Relational-Cultural Therapy, which recognizes relationships and connection as central to psychological growth and emotional well-being. She understands anxiety, depression, perfectionism, burnout, and other concerns within the context of each client’s relationships, identity, life experiences, and experiences of connection or disconnection. In therapy, Isabella helps clients explore how these experiences may influence the way they understand themselves, express their needs, manage emotions, and approach vulnerability. She is particularly attentive to patterns such as perfectionism, people-pleasing, emotional suppression, withdrawal, and achievement-based self-worth. Isabella also integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness, interpersonal approaches, and practical coping strategies based on each client’s needs and goals. Therapy may include developing effective coping skills, processing painful experiences, challenging unhelpful thought patterns, strengthening communication, and practicing new ways of connecting with yourself and others. Through therapy, clients may begin to: Better understand emotional and relationship patterns Develop greater self-compassion and emotional awareness Communicate needs and boundaries more effectively Process trauma, loss, and major life transitions Build healthier and more fulfilling relationships Separate self-worth from achievement and productivity Strengthen identity, confidence, and sense of belonging Live with greater authenticity, intention, and connection Isabella believes therapy is about more than reducing symptoms. It can be an opportunity to better understand yourself, strengthen your relationships, and build a life that reflects who you are and what matters most to you.

Professional Background

Isabella is completing her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology with a specialty emphasis in Sport Psychology at the University of North Texas. She also holds a Master of Science in Counseling Psychology from the University of North Texas and a Master of Education in Counseling Psychology from Lehigh University. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, with a minor in Criminology and Law Studies, from Marquette University, where she competed as a Division I tennis player. Her clinical training includes university counseling centers, community mental health settings, psychological assessment, and collegiate athletic environments. She has experience providing therapy to adolescents, young adults, and adults navigating anxiety, depression, trauma-related concerns, relationship difficulties, identity development, emotional regulation, neurodiversity, self-esteem, stress, burnout, and major life transitions. Isabella also has extensive experience providing mental health and sport psychology services within NCAA Division I athletics. She has supported athletes and other high-achieving individuals navigating performance anxiety, confidence concerns, injury, motivation, relationship challenges, identity development, and emotional distress. Her experience across clinical and athletic settings informs her understanding of performance pressure, resilience, belonging, connection, and developing a meaningful sense of self beyond achievement.

Working with Isabella

Isabella works collaboratively with clients to understand not only what they are experiencing, but also how their concerns developed and what may be keeping them feeling stuck. Together, clients can explore how earlier relationships, cultural expectations, achievement pressures, and difficult experiences influence the ways they understand themselves and connect with others.

Many clients appreciate Isabella’s calm, grounded presence and her ability to bring perspective to experiences that feel confusing or overwhelming. She helps clients slow down, recognize patterns, develop greater self-compassion, and explore new ways of relating to their emotions, relationships, and goals.

Her approach may be especially helpful for people who are accustomed to appearing strong, independent, successful, or composed but find it difficult to acknowledge their own needs. Isabella understands that perfectionism, emotional suppression, overachievement, avoidance, and self-reliance often develop as ways of coping with difficult experiences or expectations. Therapy offers an opportunity to understand these patterns without judgment and consider whether they continue to support the life and relationships a client wants.

If you are interested in working with Isabella, our intake coordinator can help determine whether her experience and therapeutic approach may be a good fit for your goals. To get started, complete the contact form below, and our team will guide you through the next steps.