Intentional Bridges exists to create pathways of restoration that not only bring healing to individuals but also strengthen families and empower lasting transformation across generations.

Dr. James Francis is Jamaican-American and was born and raised in Miami, Florida. As the son of a pastor, he spent much of his time in the church. As a youth pastor, his passion for counseling blossomed. James moved to Atlanta, GA in 2019.

He is married to his beautiful wife and the couple has a precious son who is the joy of James’s life.

James helps with issues such as anxiety, anger, depression, life transitions, resilience, and spiritual maturity. He believes that therapy should be clinically excellent and theologically accurate. He prioritizes the integration of Scripture with elements of psychology to operate a holistic growth model to help individuals align their beliefs with Scripture. He then walks beside them to promote step-by-step healing from the pain of the past. He aims to hold individuals accountable through encouragement and empowerment by activating their drive toward spiritual maturity.

For couples, Dr. Francis enjoys helping couples create a safe space to share their deepest longings, learn to communicate well, create a new relationship, and move from a negative to a positive sentiment.

James has also been fully trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and is eager to help clients overcome recent or distant trauma.

James initially pursued a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling through the Pentecostal Theological Seminary in Cleveland, Tennessee. Always the student, James later added a holistic theological approach to counseling by incorporating baptist and reformed insights integrated with clinical theory through a biblical perspective. He completed his Doctorate in Education at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, delivering a diverse voice in higher education.

James has multiple years of experience in office, residential, in-home, non-profit, and online settings.

After seminary, James returned to Miami to pastor and work as an in-home counselor with teens and families at a non-profit organization. He then moved to Kansas City to work with troubled teens and young adults at a Christian Therapeutic Boarding School. He specialized in leadership development, coordinated mission trips, conducted spiritual retreats, and guided personal revitalization through mentorship.