Dorcas Upshall

Dorcas Upshall is a BACP counsellor who places a client's goals at the heart of therapy. She invites people to work together to better understand what feels hard and to find practical steps forward. Her opening aim is to help people become more authentically themselves and to build emotional confidence in daily life.

Dorcas uses plain conversation to map thoughts, feelings and actions that may be keeping someone stuck. She helps people spot unhelpful thinking patterns and try out different ways of responding. This can mean practising small changes between sessions and checking what helps most.

Her background includes work in domestic abuse services, women's centres, pastoral care in schools, LGBT charities, and addiction and recovery. She has also worked with special needs provisions and taught for over ten years, and draws on those varied experiences when supporting people through difficult changes.

Dorcas is kink-aware and comfortable talking about a variety of relationship structures. She also supports people facing stress, anxiety, anger, grief, addiction concerns and issues around intimacy, body image or self‑esteem. Her work is collaborative and non-judgemental, where the client sets the pace and focus.

People who find practical conversation, reflection and gentle experimentation helpful tend to fit well with her style. She accepts international clients and offers sessions in English. To start, a short questionnaire helps match people before arranging sessions.

Approaches that shape online conversations

Client-Centred Therapy centres the person in the conversation. The counsellor listens with interest and follows what matters most to the client, helping them find their own answers and build self‑trust. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) looks at links between thoughts, feelings and actions, and offers clear strategies to reduce anxiety, manage anger and change unhelpful patterns.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Dorcas will discuss your needs and goals and together you will decide what to try first. That might mean focusing on practical CBT techniques for immediate relief, or a more exploratory client‑centred route to understand life choices and values. The plan evolves with your feedback and what feels most useful.

Practical benefits of online therapy include fitting sessions around work, family and travel commitments, and removing the need to commute. Online conversations can make it easier to maintain continuity when life is busy or when someone is living abroad, since she accepts international clients. Please confirm which session formats are currently offered before booking so arrangements fit your routine and preferences.