CEO Jill A Frandsen, LMFT

SB Family Counseling & Wellness, a Professional Corporation was established in July 2023 by Jill Frandsen, LMFT. 

Her career and education have centered largely in the Santa Barbara, California area. 

Jill graduated with a major in Sociology and minor Social Psychology with a Certificate in Global Peace and Security from University of California Santa Barbara in 1989. 

She worked as a Residential Counselor at Devereux Foundation during her undergraduate years at UCSB. She spent time raising awareness of Native American rights through supporting educational campaigns and food drives for the Dine' Tribe outside the Flagstaff area known as Big Mountain, Arizona. 

She supported local farmers through varying roles at the Santa Barbara Farmers Market Association for several years, as she spent time raising her family. 

Jill eventually went back to complete her graduate degree in Clinical Psychology while her boys were in high school. In March 2012 she completed her Masters degree from Antioch University Santa Barbara. She worked at Antioch as Student Development Coordinator. She then moved on the become the Development Director at New Beginnings Counseling Center. 

In completion of her 3,000 hours towards licensure Jill worked with a varied population of clients. Her associate sites include: Goleta Union Elementary School, Pacific Pride Foundation, CALM, and Community Solutions, Inc. 

Jill passed both of her exams and was licensed as a Marriage Family Therapist in December 2015. 

She returned to Devereux Foundation for one year as Licensed Clinician and then moved on to become Program Director for CADA's Daniel Bryant Youth and Family Treatment Center. After several years at CADA, Jill opened a private practice at the Balboa Building in downtown Santa Barbara. 

When the pandemic hit in 2020, Jill began to support The Salvation Army as a Licensed Clinician in their Drug and Alcohol Residential Treatment Program. This was rewarding work at a difficult time for many. She transitioned to Life Stance Health for the remainder of the pandemic shut down seeing clients virtually all over California. Jill was then offered a position as Clinical Director for Good Heart Recovery and served there for several years before they shut down after being sold in the summer of 2023. 

Jill has clinical experience as a therapist with families, children, adolescents, young adults, adults, couples, and elderly persons. She enjoys working with a diverse population and values having in person therapy available to those who prefer this option. Her areas of clinical studies includes Violet Oaklander trainings on sandtray with children, Daniel Siegal Mindfulness and Attachment focus. Trauma Studies with Bessel Van Der Kolk, Emotionally Focused Therapy with Sue Johnson and recently EMDR Training with EMDR Consultants. 

Jill is an active clinician and sees up to 25 clients a week, provides clinical supervision for her employees, and is the administrator for SB Family Counseling & Wellness. SB Family Counseling & Wellness sees clients in person and secure TeleHealth platforms. Our primary insurance for Associate Therapists in CenCal for Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties. Jill also see clients with other primary insurance through Headway.