Dorcas Upshall, BACP

Dorcas Upshall is a counsellor with three years' experience and a registration with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). She begins by centring each person’s goals and works alongside them to make sense of what feels overwhelming. Her approach is practical and down-to-earth, aiming to help people feel more emotionally capable and confident.

She supports people who are struggling with stress, anxiety, depression and grief, and those dealing with relationship issues, intimacy concerns and jealousy. Dorcas also works with addiction, eating and body image issues, anger, ADHD and compassion fatigue. She is experienced in supporting LGBT people and is kink-aware, including issues that arise in BDSM and alternative sex cultures.

Her background includes work in domestic abuse services, women's centres, pastoral care in schools, LGBTQ+ charities, and addiction and recovery settings. She has experience with adult and young person special needs provisions and spent over ten years as a teacher. Those roles shaped her practical, respectful style and her focus on clear, manageable steps.

In sessions she uses a mix of Client-Centred listening alongside Cognitive Behavioural ideas to look at thoughts and behaviours. She also draws on Existential approaches to consider meaning, and Internal Family Systems to notice different parts of a person’s experience. Dorcas aims to build a trusting therapeutic relationship and to help people develop tools to cope and move forward.

Sessions take a collaborative tone and are aimed at people ready to reflect and try new ways of handling problems. Prospective clients are invited to consider their goals and start with a short matching questionnaire before arranging sessions.

How different approaches guide online work

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on listening and understanding what matters to the person. It helps people feel heard and more able to notice what they want to change. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) breaks down patterns of thought and behaviour and uses practical exercises to test new ways of responding; it can be helpful for anxiety, depression and unhelpful habits. Existential Therapy looks at meaning, choice and personal values, helping people make sense of life changes and difficult decisions.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences and what seems to help, then try methods together. This makes sessions collaborative rather than one-size-fits-all, and adjustments can be made as understanding grows.

The biography does not state which online formats are offered, so please confirm session options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It also lets people join from different locations, which can help when arranging sessions around work or family commitments.