Dorcas Upshall

• Stress and anxiety
• CBT and IFS
• Kink aware practice

About Dorcas

Dorcas Upshall works on stress, anxiety, relationships, trauma and abuse, grief, addictions and a wide range of intimacy and identity concerns using collaborative, goal-focused counselling. She places the client's goals at the centre of sessions and works with people to understand thought patterns, habitual behaviours and past experiences that might be causing distress. Dorcas is registered with the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) and has three years of professional experience.

She draws on Client-Centred Therapy to listen and reflect on what matters most to each person. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is used to identify and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. Dorcas also uses Internal Family Systems ideas to look at the different parts of a person's inner life, and existential thinking to address questions of meaning and choice.

Her background includes work in domestic abuse services, women’s centres, pastoral care in schools and LGBTQ+ charities. She has experience in addiction and recovery services and has worked with adult and young person special needs provisions. Dorcas has also spent over ten years as a teacher, which informs her practical approach to sessions.

She is kink-aware and comfortable discussing BDSM and alternative sex cultures, and she supports people exploring non-traditional relationship structures. Additional areas she works with include body image, codependency, communication problems, infidelity, eating and food-related issues, and men's issues.

Dorcas works with issues such as compassion fatigue, ADHD, isolation, shame and guilt, jealousy and life purpose. Sessions aim to build emotional confidence and practical coping tools. People can expect a collaborative style focused on clear goals and steady progress.

How her approaches work in online counselling

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on listening and reflecting back what matters to the person, helping them feel heard and clearer about their goals. It is useful for relationship concerns, identity questions and building emotional confidence.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy looks at links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours and introduces practical ways to change patterns that cause distress. It is often used for anxiety, low mood, eating issues and addictive behaviours.

Internal Family Systems helps people recognise and work with different parts of themselves, such as a critic or a protector, which can be useful for trauma, shame and attachment issues.

Finding the best approach is a joint process. The counsellor will discuss your goals and preferences and adapt methods as the work progresses. This collaborative stance aims to match practical techniques with your personal needs.

Session formats are not specified in the biography, so please confirm the available options before booking. Online counselling can make it easier to fit sessions around work or caring responsibilities, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. Registered or accredited professionals often use these practical benefits to help clients keep therapy part of everyday life.

Topics Dorcas lists

• Stress and anxiety
• LGBT
• Relationship issues
• Trauma and abuse
• Intimacy-related issues
• Addictions
• Family conflicts
• Grief
• Eating disorders
• Anger management
• Self-esteem
• Depression
• Coping with life changes
• Compassion fatigue
• ADHD
• Attachment issues
• BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
• Body image
• Codependency
• Communication problems
• Control issues
• Drug and alcohol addiction
• Eating and food-related issues
• Family problems
• Guilt and shame
• Infidelity
• Isolation and loneliness
• Jealousy
• Life purpose
• Men's issues
• Polyamory and non-monogamous relationships
• Self-love
• Sex addiction
• Sexual assault and abuse
• Sexual dysfunction
• Sexuality
• Social anxiety and phobia
• Women's issues

Ways of working

• Client-Centred Therapy
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Existential Therapy
• Internal Family Systems

Questions about Dorcas

Does she work with anxiety?

Yes. Anxiety and stress are listed areas she works on and she uses CBT and other approaches to address them.

What kind of counselling does she offer?

She uses Client-Centred Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Internal Family Systems and Existential Therapy in her practice.

What experience does she have?

She has three years of professional counselling experience and a background working in domestic abuse services, women’s centres, pastoral care, LGBTQ+ charities and addiction services.

Is she registered with a professional body in the UK?

Yes. She is registered with the BACP, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Can I have sessions in English if I live abroad?

Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients.

What session formats does she provide?

The original biography does not specify session formats; please confirm current session options before booking.

How much do sessions cost?

Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.

How do I begin working with her?

Start by selecting the Talk to a counsellor online button, complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule a first session.