FW Portrait of Francesca Whitby

Francesca Whitby, BACP

Calm, practical support for anxiety and stress

4 years in practice · based in United Kingdom · sessions in English · online sessions

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About Francesca

Francesca Whitby is a counsellor who aims to help people feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or stuck. She creates a calm, non-judgemental space and listens closely so people can find their own way forward. Francesca is warm, honest and down to earth, and she focuses on small, practical steps as well as understanding feelings.

She combines a person-centred way of working with tools from cognitive behavioural therapy, often called CBT, so sessions include both open listening and practical planning.

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Background and approach

That mix can help with day-to-day coping as well as understanding repeated patterns that cause distress. Francesca has four years of clinical experience and is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, shown as BACP. Her work covers common concerns such as stress, anxiety, depression and self-esteem, alongside relationship difficulties and trauma such as domestic abuse.

Other areas she supports include sleep and eating problems, grief, parenting pressures and career worries. She also works with people facing more complex issues such as bipolar symptoms, ADHD, attachment difficulties and certain personality concerns. Sessions focus on what matters to the individual.

Francesca will listen, gently challenge unhelpful thoughts and suggest practical exercises to try between sessions. The pace is set by the person coming for help, and the aim is steady forward movement rather than quick fixes.

How her approaches work online

Francesca uses a person-centred approach that focuses on creating a warm, accepting space where people can talk through what matters most to them. This style helps when someone needs time to find their own answers and feel understood before taking next steps.

She also uses cognitive behavioural therapy, commonly called CBT, which looks at the links between thoughts, feelings and actions. CBT provides straightforward tools and exercises that can help with anxiety, low mood, overthinking and unhelpful behaviours in daily life.

Choosing the right mix of approaches is part of the process. The therapist will work together with the person to decide what feels most helpful, based on their goals and preferences. That collaborative decision can change over time as priorities shift.

Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging to suit different needs. Video sessions let people work face to face from wherever is convenient. Phone sessions can be a good option when bandwidth is limited or for a simpler check-in. Live chat and messaging suit brief updates or when someone prefers not to use audio or video. These options make it easier to fit therapy around work, family and daily life.
Book with Francesca Now Review online therapy options and next steps.

Questions people ask

What kinds of problems does Francesca help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression and self-esteem issues, and supports people dealing with relationship problems, trauma and grief.
What is Francesca's approach in sessions?
She blends a person-centred style with cognitive behavioural therapy tools, offering open listening plus practical exercises to try between sessions.
How much experience does she have?
Francesca has four years of professional experience in counselling practice.
What credentials and region are listed?
She is listed with BACP and is based in the United Kingdom.
Which languages does she use for therapy?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the UK work with her?
She is not accepting international clients at this time and works with people located in the United Kingdom.
What session formats are available?
Francesca offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging to suit different needs and schedules.
How are costs and getting started handled?
Cost varies by location and availability and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time; to begin, select Start Therapy, complete the short matching questionnaire and schedule a session.

What this therapist works with

Most often

Experience
4 years
Licensed
Languages
English

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