Meet Dr. Francesca Bartoccini
Dr. Francesca Bartoccini, PhD, LMHC brings more than 15 years of experience in psychology, psychotherapy, child and adolescent mental health, family therapy, trauma, and crisis intervention. Originally trained and licensed in Italy as a psychologist and psychotherapist, she has worked with children, teens, adults, couples, parents, and families across private practice, schools, therapeutic residential programs, community mental health, and crisis settings. Her extensive background gives her a particularly broad perspective when helping clients with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, behavioral concerns, family conflict, parenting challenges, relationship difficulties, stress, and major life transitions.
Dr. Bartoccini completed her university education in psychology at the Salesian Pontifical University (Università Pontificia Salesiana) in Rome, within its Faculty of Educational Sciences. Following her graduate education and required postgraduate clinical training, she passed Italy’s State Examination and was authorized to practice as a psychologist. Her postgraduate internships included social-service agencies, psychiatric hospitals and residential programs for children and families.
She went on to complete an intensive five-year specialization in Relational-Systemic Psychotherapy at the Academy of Family Psychotherapy in Rome. The program incorporated advanced academic study with extensive clinical internships and supervised clinical training. Following this training, she was recognized by the Italian professional psychology board as a psychotherapist in addition to her qualification as a psychologist.
Children, Teens & Family Therapy
A significant portion of Dr. Bartoccini’s career has been devoted to children, adolescents, parents, and families, including young people with complex emotional, behavioral, family, and trauma-related needs.
Early in her career, she gained experience in psychiatric emergency services, assisted living settings, foster care, and a therapeutic group home serving children who had experienced sexual abuse. She subsequently spent seven years as a Psychologist and Clinical Director for an organization operating therapeutic foster homes in Italy, combining direct clinical work with oversight of services for children and families.
Dr. Bartoccini has also worked as a School Psychologist in Italy with elementary and middle school-aged children and in private practice alongside a child and adolescent psychiatrist. Her work in these settings included child and teen therapy, family therapy, and parent coaching, giving her extensive experience understanding concerns not simply as an individual child’s “problem,” but within the larger context of development, family relationships, parenting, school, and environment.
Trauma, Crisis Intervention & Emergency Psychology
Dr. Bartoccini has specialized experience in trauma, acute stress, crisis intervention, and psychological stabilization. In Italy, she pursued additional training and credentials in emergency psychology and traumatology. After relocating to the United States, she continued this area of practice as a Crisis Intervention Specialist and Trainer.
She has also served as Clinical Director for a social services and mental health organization serving first responders and military personnel, working within populations frequently affected by critical incidents, occupational trauma, grief, cumulative stress, and the impact these experiences can have on individuals and their families.
Later, Dr. Bartoccini served as Clinical Director for an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) serving the airline and hospital industries, where her work emphasized brief intervention, crisis response, stabilization, and helping individuals navigate acute personal and workplace stressors.
Her Approach to Therapy
Dr. Bartoccini believes effective therapy should provide more than a place to talk. It should help clients understand why patterns keep happening, what can be changed, and how to make those changes outside the therapy room.
Her approach is collaborative, trauma-informed, and practical, incorporating Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), psychoeducation, family systems principles, emotional regulation strategies, and evidence-informed coping skills according to each client’s needs.
With children and adolescents, treatment may also address family relationships, parenting dynamics, behavior, emotional regulation, school functioning, and developmental needs. Parent coaching can help caregivers better understand what may be driving a child’s behavior while developing practical ways to respond at home.
With adults, couples, and families, Dr. Bartoccini helps clients identify patterns that may be contributing to anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, family conflict, trauma responses, grief, stress, and difficulty adjusting to life changes. The goal is not simply greater insight, but meaningful improvements in everyday functioning, relationships, and emotional well-being.
Today, Dr. Bartoccini brings her international training and extensive clinical experience to Plantation Counseling & Wellness, providing therapy and counseling for children, teenagers, adults, couples, and families in Plantation, Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, and South Florida.
