About Nan Franks

Experience that meets you with humanity

At heart, I help people make sense of what feels complicated and find a way forward. I am often a “dot connector”: I listen for the relationships between experiences, patterns, strengths, and choices, then help clients and organizations turn that understanding into practical action.

My style is warm, direct, creative, and grounded. I believe in inspiration more than pressure, collaboration more than one-size-fits-all advice, and honest accountability that respects each person’s pace and circumstances.

I also bring lived experience to this work. I know that life can change suddenly and that resilience is rarely built in a straight line. I have navigated personal challenges, leadership responsibilities, financial strain, grief, and change. Those experiences deepen my respect for the courage it takes to ask for help and begin again.

Professional biography

Nan Franks is a behavioral health clinician, trainer, consultant, and community leader with more than four decades of experience. Her work focuses on addiction, problem gambling, grief, trauma, family systems, affected others, ethics, and financial recovery.

A former chief executive of the Alcoholism Council of the Cincinnati Area/NCADD and a longtime leader in community behavioral health, Nan has supported individuals and families, developed professionals, advised organizations, and presented across the United States. She earned her Master of Arts from the University of Cincinnati in 1983 and has co-authored professional publications on ethics, ethical decision-making, privacy, and confidentiality for helping professionals.

Nan’s work brings together clinical depth and practical hope. Whether she is counseling a family, helping someone address gambling-related financial harm, teaching an ethics workshop, or consulting with a community organization, her goal is the same: help people understand what is happening, strengthen their capacity, and move toward lasting change.

What guides my work

  1. People are more than a diagnosis, crisis, debt, loss, or difficult season.
  2. Emotional health, relationships, recovery, and financial well-being influence one another.
  3. Good care combines compassion with practical tools and clear choices.
  4. Families and affected others deserve support in their own right.
  5. Professional expertise carries an obligation to remain thoughtful, ethical, and teachable.

Credentials, publications, and recognition

Nan is honored to have received the following awards:

  • 1996 Alcohol & Other Drugs Council of Northern Kentucky – Lifetime Achievement Award
  • 1996 – 2000 Ohio Association of Alcohol & Drug Addiction Counselors – The August M. Meuli Humanitarian Award
  • 2000 National Council on Alcohol & Drug Dependence/Ohio – Distinguished Service Award
  • 2004 Ohio Association of Residential Recovery Services – Lovatt Award

Let's talk about what comes next

Whether you’re looking for personal support, professional guidance, or a thoughtful partner for your organisation, I’d welcome a conversation.

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