Hi! I’m QUETZAL FRANCOIS. I am an educator, therapist, mentor, grief walker, mama, partner, and activist. I work with young people and adults, in groups and individually, all over the Bay Area. 

As the Co-Director of LOVE YOUR NATURE, I offer coaching and contemporary rites of passage guidance to girls, non binary teens, and their families. I develop curriculum and facilitate inniatory programming with a focus on navigating the complex landscape of adolescence, coming of age, identities of all kinds, and growing social, emotional and spiritual intelligence.

At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to creating spaces where people can be fully expressed, connected to themselves and each other, and empowered to move through the world with boldness and authenticity. Working with young people is one of my greatest honors—a way of giving thanks for the life I’ve been blessed with. It’s a commitment to walking beside them as an ally, guiding them through the radical act of self-love, and helping them find their way home to themselves as they walk through the fire of these times.
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In addition to my work with youth, I have a private practice as an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, helping adult individuals and couples uncover and reclaim their innate wholeness.

How did I get here?

Like many drawn to this path, my journey began with struggle. As a queer, mixed-race young woman, I wrestled with my identities, internalized shame, grief, and a world that often felt fast-moving and unsafe. I spent years hiding what was really going on - sometimes even from myself.

And yet, I was one of the lucky ones. I found mentors early on, people who saw beyond the mask, and guided me toward healing, confidence, and self-acceptance... back to myself. Their presence shaped me into the grown human I am today, and in turn, inspired my lifelong commitment to supporting young people on their own journeys of belonging.

After moving to the Bay Area, I immersed myself in developing and teaching sexual health education for youth and educators. While I loved the work, I felt something was missing in the classroom environment. My exploration of rites of passage, nature-based work, and feminist spirituality led me home to Love Your Nature.

Experience

Education & Training

 I bring 15+ years of experience designing curriculum and facilitating programs for teens, educators, and parents. My expertise spans:

• Social, emotional, and spiritual intelligence
• ​Social justice & advocacy
• Authentic communication & boundaries
• Sexuality & gender
• Body image & self-confidence
• Empowered sexual health education
• Cultivating healthy, nurturing relationships (self, romantic, and platonic)
• Supporting LGBTQ+ identities and experiences

Many wisdom lineages shape the way I support and guide...
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• M.A. in Marriage & Family Therapy, Cal State East Bay
• B.A. in Legal Studies (Honors), UC Berkeley (focus: Social Justice, Immigration Rights, Prison Industrial Complex)
• Internal Family Systems Foundation Course for Queer and Trans folx
• Certified Sex Educator, San Francisco Sex Information
• Yoga & Social Justice Teacher Certification, Namaste Yoga Studio
• Trauma-Informed Mindfulness Course: Deepening into the Heart of Insight
• Certification in Sexual Health Education & HIV/STI Prevention & Outreach
• Student of School for Transformational Facilitation (yearlong course)
• Student of Authentic Movement 

 Professional Credentials

• Co-Director, Love Your Nature
• Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, Center for Mindful Psychotherapy
• Mindfulness Mentor, Spirit Rock and Inward Bound Mindfulness (iBme) Teen Retreats
• Former Marriage and Family Therapy Trainee, Family Paths ​
• Former Staff Director, Girls On The Go & Monkey Business Camp (5 years overseeing programming & staff)
• ​​Former Mentor, Stepping Stones Project (rites of passage for middle schoolers)
• Sexual Health Educator & Youth Advocate, Girls Inc. of Alameda – taught programs throughout the Bay Area, including Oakland Unified Schools, SF Unified Schools, and City College campuses
• Conference Presenter – including Gender Spectrum and Catalyst Con, training professionals in inclusive sexual health education and curriculum development beyond the dominant narrative
• Guest Lecturer – repeat speaker for San Francisco State University’s Health and Sexuality undergraduate course and FemSex at UC Berkeley
• ​Tutor, San Quentin State Prison         ​

"Fun" Facts

• When I was 12 years old, my family immigrated from our lively busy life in Paris to living off the grid in the majestic mountains of New Mexico. Culture shock doesn't even begin to describe those first few months! I’d known for as long as I can remember that I wanted to move to the Bay Area, so when I was 19 years old I found my way to San Francisco and eventually the East Bay. My heart feels a constant bittersweet split between these 3 magical places. 
• In high school, I helped start an anonymous questions jar, where students dropped in their burning questions - most of them about sex (shocking, I know!). That’s when I first realized my passion for creating safer, shame-free education about sexuality and identities.
• My parents named me after the Resplendent Quetzal, a bird known to die if held in captivity. My parents named me after this creature as a reminder that freedom is essential to the soul - a lesson I carry into my work every day.
• My mother was my guide and source of wisdom, shaping so much of how I live. Though she is now an ancestor, our mother-daughter relationship continues to be one of my greatest teachers and a compass to my work with young people.
• Inspired by the book “The Language of Flowers”, I often dream of starting my own flower farm and arranging bouquets based on the meaning of each flower. Maybe as my retirement plan… :)

“i will tell you, my daughter of your worth not your beauty every day. (your beauty is a given. every being is born beautiful). knowing your worth can save your life.“
-Nayyirah Waheed