About Francis A. Bax, MS, LMHC, LPC, CASAC-MASTER

Fran is licensed in New York State as a Mental Health Counselor and certified as an Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor. Fran is also licensed as a Clinical Professional Counselor in Nevada. Fran has over 30 years of experience as a behavioral health clinician, training supervisor, and case and care management expert. Fran utilizes cutting edge, evidenced-based, and eclectic clinical and instructional techniques in motivating clients to consider and practice behavior change while perpetuating the human service field through training, instructing, and mentoring aspiring counselors. 

Fran’s career experience includes roles as a project and care coordinator striving for excellence through time-limited solution-focused interventions, strategic planning, and results-oriented actions. It has proven program coordination abilities through interaction with key community leaders and stakeholders. 

Fran specializes in using and trains other human service and medical providers in motivational interviewing techniques and evaluation through DiClemente and Prohaska's Stages of Change model. Fran's skills emphasize building and maintaining effective work teams that interact effectively with coworkers and customers. 

Fran specializes in the Human Services field, including supervision and mentoring aspiring counselors and social workers, clinical and systemic interventions, treatment planning, and providing services to individuals with co-occurring addiction and behavioral health issues, including tobacco addiction. 

Fran also has significant expertise in providing treatment, case management and supervision of individuals referred from the legal system and state parole boards, especially those clients who are adjudicated or convicted of sexual offenses and other violent and non-violent crimes. 

Fran has invested time and experience in working with amateur and professional athletes (including professional and top ranked bowlers) to maximize their mental capabilities to excel on the playing field. 

Fran also leads workshops and training sessions and teaches undergraduate courses on co-occurring behavioral health diagnosis, tobacco cessation and treatment, and using resiliency and humor in the treatment milieu. Fran also taught undergraduate counseling courses as an adjunct professor at Niagara County Community College and Medaille University in Buffalo. 

Fran holds a master’s degree in Counselor Education and Supervision from the Canisius University of Buffalo. He is a member of the American Counselors Association and the New York State Counselors Association. 

"My counseling style is warm and interactive. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion without judgement or labels. My approaches combine cognitive-behavioral, humanistic, motivational, and rational-emotive counseling. I also use collaborative and systematic approaches to help my clients." "It takes tremendous courage to seek a more fulfilling and happier life and take the first steps towards change. I support and empower you if you are ready to take that step. We can work together to develop your treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs. You will find support and explore different ways of thinking and feeling."