Janel Guinane, LCSW

Janel Guinane began her work in the helping professions in 1997 at a residential program in San Francisco, supporting adults with substance use challenges and co-occurring mental health disorders. That early, hands-on experience provided a foundation in substance use counseling at a time when formal degrees were not always required, and it shaped a long-term commitment to clinical practice and service.

She went on to earn a Bachelor of Social Work in 2008 and a Master of Social Work in 2010. Over the years she has worked with a broad range of populations, including children, teens, transitional age youth, former foster youth, homeless youth and adults, people living with serious mental illness, and individuals arrested for alcohol or drug-related offenses. This varied background informs her ability to tailor care to different life stages and circumstances.

Currently she serves as a Program Manager of a clinic that assesses individuals with mental health disorders for County treatment services and also manages a homeless day respite center that connects unhoused people with housing, food, healthcare, and other supports. Her clinical approach is client-centered, strengths-based, and humanistic. She uses Motivational Interviewing to understand each client’s perspective and priorities and draws on a range of evidence-informed methods, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Solution-Focused Therapy, and Trauma-Focused Therapy. Guinane holds the credential LCSW - Licensed Clinical Social Worker - and works collaboratively as a guide to help people clarify goals and build practical strategies rather than offering prescriptive advice. She has experience supporting individuals with depression, anxiety disorders, trauma and abuse, eating disorders, PTSD, schizophrenia, addictions, relationship and family concerns, parenting challenges, and other struggles, with a focus on empowering clients to reach their own solutions.