What issues can counselling

help with?

Counselling can help with a wide range of issues, such as:

Stress and anxiety

Relationship problems

Difficulties at work or in retirement

Body-image concerns

Depression

Issues relating to sexuality

Bereavement and loss

Abuse and trauma

My qualifications and experience

MA Counselling and Psychotherapy - University of Leeds (2016)
Certificate in Counselling Skills and Theory - University of Leeds (2013)
BSc (Hons) Psychology - Royal Holloway University (2001)

I’m a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and work in line with the BACP’s Ethical Framework.

Before setting up in private practice I counselled for a number of diverse organisations, including a faith-based charity and a women's centre.

I'm an integrative counsellor. I'm trained in different modalities and I draw on them as needed.

Weight-neutral counselling

My particular passion is counselling people who, like me, are overweight, or as I prefer to say, fat.

Fat people face challenges that thin people don't. In the UK, thinness is prized. Fat stigma is real,

and larger people are judged as lazy, greedy and immoral, amongst other things.

Many people, including counsellors, don't understand the discrimination that fat people face on a daily basis.

They also expect anyone living in a larger body to be unhappy with their size, and to be pursuing weight loss.

This can make having counselling confusing and upsetting, and more difficult than it needs to be.

I specialise in counselling larger people regardless of why they want counselling.

I have lived experience of at least some of the difficulties you face.

I'm not biased against you. And I don't assume I know what's right for you.

My location

I work from my peaceful garden office in Yorkshire, but give sessions remotely, online and over the phone.

Fees & availability

All sessions are 50 minutes long. The fee is £50 per session, payable by bank transfer before each session.

I offer a limited number of sessions at a concessionary rate to students or clients on a low income. Please contact me to check availability.

Frequently asked questions

It depends on what you want to achieve and how deeply you want to explore things. Some people want to work on a particular issue for just a session or two, and that's enough for them. Around 10 to 15 sessions is quite common. And other people may know from the beginning that they want long-term psychotherapy. It's really just what's right for you at this particular time, and you can decide as you go along.

If I have capacity I'll try to arrange your first session within a week, depending on your own availability.

Confidentiality is one of the great benefits of counselling. You can say things to me that you can't say to the people in your life, knowing it'll go no further. But I can't promise 100% confidentiality, because there are some situations where the law requires disclosure. Such instances are rare, however, and usually only happen after talking to the person concerned.

I'm afraid not, I only offer 1:1 counselling. I understand that a family member or friend may wish to support you, or that you may want them just to be next to you when we talk, especially at first. But this can make it harder for you to open up about what really matters to you. Your counselling is for you, and you alone.

Get in touch

Email: frances@curvycounselling.com

Please email or give me a call if you’d like to know more or to book a session. If I can't answer the phone, please leave your name and number if it's ok to call you back.

You can also message me using this contact form.

I usually reply to emails and messages within 24 hours, although this may be longer at weekends.