Dorcas Upshall , BACP

Dorcas Upshall is a BACP counsellor who starts by putting a person’s goals at the centre of therapy. She helps people untangle worries about work, money, relationships and identity. Sessions are practical and focused on what the client wants to change or understand. Dorcas aims to create a consistent, respectful space where people can speak honestly and begin to make small shifts.

Her background includes work in domestic abuse services, women’s centres and LGBTQ+ charities. She has also supported people in addiction and recovery settings and provided pastoral care in schools. Before moving into counselling she worked as a teacher for over 10 years, and has experience supporting adult and young person special needs provisions.

In sessions she talks through thought patterns and behaviours that hold people back. She helps clients notice what they want to keep and what they want to change. The therapist is kink-aware and familiar with alternative sex culture, and she is comfortable discussing intimacy-related concerns and attachment issues.

Dorcas uses a mix of practical approaches to suit different needs. She draws on client-centred ways of working and cognitive behavioural techniques to address mood, anxiety and unhelpful thinking. She also brings existential ideas about meaning and Internal Family Systems perspectives to work with identity and internal conflict.

People come for help with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addictions, ADHD and body image concerns. She also supports those dealing with communication problems, codependency, infidelity and isolation. Sessions aim to be down-to-earth and collaborative, helping people gain clearer choices and steadier emotional footing.

Therapeutic approaches for online counselling and support

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on listening and understanding the person in front of the counsellor. It helps people who need a space to make sense of feelings and to decide what matters to them. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, feelings and behaviours connect and uses simple exercises to change unhelpful patterns, which can be useful for anxiety and low mood.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The counsellor will collaborate with each person to choose methods that fit their goals and preferences. That may mean combining reflective, identity-focused work with clearer behavioural steps. Decisions about approach are revisited as needs change.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video calls let people keep visual contact for deeper conversation. Phone sessions suit those with lower bandwidth or who prefer not to be on camera. Live chat and text-based messaging allow shorter check-ins, written reflection and support that can fit around work or family schedules. These options help make regular contact more manageable for busy lives.