About Maxwell
Maxwell Sleep-Frankel is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with eight years of clinical experience based in California. He works with adults facing stress, anxiety, grief, depression, addictions, and life changes. Maxwell takes a direct, down-to-earth approach so people can talk through what feels hardest right now and find practical ways forward.
He has a long background supporting older adults and people living with disabilities through transitions and loss. That experience shapes how he listens and plans treatment, with attention to medical and caregiving realities that often complicate mental health concerns.
Background and approach
Maxwell blends client-centered work with cognitive behavioral techniques and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Sessions often focus on identifying unhelpful thoughts, clarifying values, and building small, achievable actions that fit daily life. He also draws on motivational interviewing and narrative approaches when helpful.
Clients who face chronic pain, caregiver stress, addiction, or end-of-life worries may find his practical focus useful. He also addresses guilt, shame, isolation, purpose, and impulsivity in therapy conversations. The aim is steady progress rather than quick fixes.
Maxwell earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Psychology and a Master of Social Work at the University of Chicago. He is listed as CA LCSW 105702. He offers sessions in English and accepts international clients, using video calls, phone, live chat, and text-based messaging to meet different needs.
How therapeutic approaches translate to online care
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and choose actions that match their values. It’s useful for anxiety, depression, and coping with life transitions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying and changing thinking patterns that lead to distress, and it often includes concrete exercises and practice between sessions.Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Maxwell will discuss which methods might fit a person’s goals and adjust over time based on what works. Clients and the therapist set practical steps and check progress together so the approach stays useful and relevant.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is good for full conversations and visual cues. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or a quick check-in is needed. Live chat and messaging are useful for brief updates, writing through thoughts, and keeping momentum between longer sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives and different routines.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
Also works with
- 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