Heidi Francis

Verified Professional Verified Professional
Verified Professional

Every professional displayed on Counselling Directory has been independently verified by our team to ensure they have suitable credentials to practise.

( (Ad Prof Dip PC, MNCS Accred) The Happy Head Practice LTD
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST10
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

About me

Are you feeling that you’re not living life to the full?

Does your head feel full of worries and constant thoughts that lead to you to not feeling good enough?

Do find you lack confidence in yourself and feel worthless?

Are you fed up with trying to please other people rather than yourself?

Are you feeling that you’ll never find a successful relationship.

Do you find yourself in repeating patterns of behaviour that stop you moving forward and having the life you want.?

Things you just can’t seem to change on your own? Does this leave you feel isolated and alone?

All these struggles can result in a life where anxiety and depression can take over and day to day life can feel too hard. Often resulting in coping mechanisms that just make things harder or you might find you’re struggling to manage each day.

If you identify with any of these situations then therapy can to be something that can really help.

This is where I can help, in therapy I can work with you to find ways to overcome the issues that prevent you from living a life, the life you want and deserve. Talking therapy allows you to work through things at a comfortable pace and learn new skills to manage and overcome problems.  

Clients tell me that having therapy has helped them to make so many positive changes in their lives, from improving their relationships with themselves and others, overcoming destructive behaviours, such as using drugs and alcohol to numb painful feelings and discovering a new found confidence to really live life the way they want.

About Me

So far in my journey as a therapist I have amassed over 6 thousand hours of working with clients both at the Mental health charity Mind, a private drug and alcohol rehab and my own busy private practice, this means I have a wealth of experience and knowledge in working with both individuals and couples, helping them to overcome many different issues and discovering a new path forward.  My own life experiences from being a military child who went to boarding school, a mother, experiencing difficult relationships, having many different jobs until I found my passion of being a therapist, supporting a family member with addiction and mental health struggles, also allows me to bring my own life experiences and knowledge.

Couples

Are you looking for help with your relationship? Are you finding that you’re not feeling heard or understood by your partner?

I work with couples and people who are looking for help with their relationships. Helping people to communicate their needs and desires in an effective way to enable them to have the relationship that they truly want.

When we fail to communicate effectively in our relationships it results in ruptures, conflict and unhappiness.

Relationships can be affected by so many factors, infidelities, addiction, bereavement, children, work stresses and many more daily events that cause friction between two people.

Bringing these issues to therapy allows couples to navigate their problems and learn new ways to resolve the conflict, reignite intimacy and become close again.  

  What to expect.

Once you have made contact with me either through a text, a WhatsApp and email or a call, I can offer you a free 15-minute call, during this call you might have questions you’d like to ask me or want to share a brief overview of what’s troubling you or just want to get a feel for if I might be the right therapist for you. Not everybody wants this call and its always up to you, if you’d prefer to, we can just go ahead and book in your first session.

If you do decide that you’d like to book a session then I will send you an email to confirm the appointment and some information about online therapy.

The First Session.

The first thing I want every client to know is that therapy is the one place where it’s impossible to get it wrong, however you feel then that’s right because those are your feelings.

Secondly, nothing is too small or too big to bring to therapy and nothing is off limits, and all of your emotions are welcome.

Our first session will be about you having the space to share what’s going on for you and for us to begin to get to know each other better, you may have many questions or you may just want to talk about your feelings and experiences that have brought you to therapy.

As our sessions progress and we establish what your goals might be and look at the things you might want to work on, we will regularly review progress. Therapy is not always easy and there can be hard work involved in moving forward but I am there to support you as you tackle the challenges therapy can bring.

 I’m not the sort of therapist that just sits and nods, and I expect full input from clients, I see our work as a team effort and will always encourage you to achieve your goals.

Sessions are online using a video platform and clients are sent a link prior to their session, l and I’m always available to assist should you have any difficulties logging onto the session.

Training, qualifications & experience

  • L6 Clinical Supervisor.
  • Advanced Professional Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling.
  • Diploma in Hypnotherapy and Counselling Skills.
  • L2 Diploma in Counselling Skills
  • Certificate in Understanding Drugs and Addiction, Kings College London.
  • Diploma in Mindfulness.
  • Accredited member of The National Counselling Society.
  • Qualified practitioner In The REWIND Technique with The International Association For Rewind Trauma Therapy.
  • Certificate in Online and Telephone Counselling.

CPD.

  • Working with Narcissistic and Borderline Personality Disorder.
  • Working with Trauma in a time of Trauma.
  • The Neuroscience of being in a couple.
  • Working with Trauma- Exercises and Techniques to Aid Recovery and Healing From Complex Trauma.
  • Working with Shame.-The Web of Shame in the Therapeutic Space.
  • Attachment Behaviour in the counselling room.
  • Eating disorders and the lived experience.
  • Applying Intuitive eating and Non diet approaches in practice.
  • Safeguarding Children L1.
  • Therapeutic Arts.- Art for Self Healing.
  • Working Creatively with the inner child.
  • Relational depth in Counselling and Psychotherapy.
  • Human Givens- Understanding Anxiety and managing it without drugs.
  • TA 101.Introduction to Transactional Analysis.
  • The Counselling Academy- Couples Counselling Toolkit.
  • Sandstory Therapy .

Member organisations

Registered / Accredited

Registered / Accredited

Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.

NCPS
National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS)

The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society

This Not For Profit association of counsellors and psychotherapists aim to support the counselling profession, members and training organisations.

In 2013 the NCS register was accredited by the Professional Standards Authority under the Accredited Voluntary Register Scheme. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.

Accredited register membership

National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society
Accredited Register Scheme

The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).

This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.

National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society

Fees

£60.00 - £70.00
Free initial telephone or online session

Additional information

£60-£70 Per counselling session - 50 minutes.

£75-£85-Per  Couples counseling session- 60 minutes.

What to expect

Our work together can be long term , short term or open ended, I will work with you on your goals at your pace. A session lasts 50 minutes and usually once a week, occasionally it may be useful to extend a session or have 2 in a week, particularly when working on complex issues or when a crisis may occur. Some clients may prefer to have fortnightly sessions when appropriate.

When I work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Night

I am able to offer daytime appointments and some evening appointments,  I am working solely online with clients from all over UK and Abroad.

Lower Leigh, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST10

Type of session

Online

Types of client

Young people
Adults
Older adults
Couples
Families

Key details

DBS check

In England and Wales, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS, formerly known as CRB) carry out criminal records checks for individuals working with vulnerable groups, such as children. To find out more, visit gov.uk , or contact this professional directly

Online platforms

Zoom

Social

Heidi Francis
Heidi Francis