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Home Counsellors Dorcas Upshall
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Dorcas Upshall, BACP

Credentials
BACP
Experience
3 years
Practising in
United Kingdom
Languages
English
Sessions
Online only
Client ages
Adults, 18 and over

Works with Stress, AnxietyLGBTRelationship issuesTrauma and abuseIntimacy-related issues

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Dorcas Upshall is a counsellor with three years of practice and a BACP registration. She focuses on helping people untangle stress, anxiety, addiction and relationship concerns. She aims to create a calm, steady space where clients can set goals and find practical ways forward.

Dorcas uses clear conversation to identify thought patterns and behaviours that feel stuck. She helps people notice what gets in the way of everyday life and try different responses.

Background and approach

Sessions are approachable and paced to the individual, with attention to both feelings and practical change. Her background includes roles in domestic abuse services, women’s centres, pastoral work in schools and LGBTQ+ charities. She has experience in addiction and recovery settings and in special needs provisions for adults and young people.

Dorcas also taught for over ten years and draws on that experience when explaining ideas and setting small goals. She is kink-aware and comfortable discussing BDSM, kink and alternative sex culture. That means discussions about intimacy, boundaries and consent are handled without judgement.

She also offers support around grief, body image, compulsive behaviours and life transitions. Sessions combine client-centred listening with practical tools from cognitive behavioural ideas and internal family systems thinking. Dorcas helps people work out what matters to them and make changes that fit their daily life.

International clients may be supported in English via online formats.

Therapeutic approaches and online support

Client-centred therapy focuses on the relationship in the room and on the client’s own goals. It involves listening with curiosity, reflecting what matters to the client, and helping them find their own answers. This approach is useful for people who want space to make sense of feelings and decide on next steps.

Cognitive behavioural therapy, or CBT, helps identify patterns of thought and behaviour that keep problems going. It uses practical exercises and small experiments to try new ways of thinking and acting, which can ease anxiety, low mood and stress. Internal Family Systems treats different emotional parts as voices to be listened to and understood, helping people untangle inner conflicts and build self-compassion.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss needs, goals and preferences together and agree what to try first. That collaborative process means methods can change if something feels unhelpful.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text messaging. Video is useful for face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions can fit a break at work or be used when bandwidth is limited. Live chat and messaging suit shorter check-ins or when writing helps express thoughts. These options make therapy more flexible and easier to fit into a busy life.
What concerns does this counsellor address?
Dorcas works with stress, anxiety, depression, grief and self-esteem issues. She also supports people with addiction, eating and intimacy-related concerns.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her approach is client-centred and practical. She combines empathetic listening with tools to notice thoughts and change unhelpful behaviours.
What relevant background does she bring?
Her experience includes domestic abuse services, women’s centres, LGBTQ+ charities, addiction and recovery work, school pastoral care and special needs provision.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She holds BACP and practises from the United Kingdom.
Can sessions be held in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English. International clients can be supported in English as well.
Which session formats are available?
Therapy is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging to suit different needs and schedules.
How are fees and payment handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with this counsellor?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, then schedule according to the therapist’s availability.

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Experience
3 years
Registered with
BACP
Languages
English

Contacting Dorcas

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