Frances Sheldon

Frances Sheldon is an Integrative counsellor and registered with the BACP. She is currently working within the low-cost counselling service at the Awareness Centre Clapham, whilst working towards an advanced Diploma in Integrative Counselling and Therapy.

Frances works empathetically with clients, offering them a safe, calm space to share and process their feelings. She uses a Person-Centred approach to enable the person to work at their own pace and bring whatever they wish to speak about to sessions, being led by their own needs and finding the answers within themselves. She can also use other therapies within Integrative counselling, such as the Psychodynamic Approach and Attachment Theory to go deeper into the person’s past and its impact on present relationships and emotional difficulties. Frances encourages her clients to think critically and outside of the box to find new perspectives on their experiences, finding new metaphors and symbolic images for their understanding of their own stories. She also has experience in helping clients overcome trauma and shame with a healing affirmation approach to self-love and self-acceptance. For clients who are suffering with anxiety, she can also guide exercises from Gestalt and NLP practice to enable clients to find their own internal resources for calmness and confidence.

Having previously worked as a communication support worker in British Sign Language with d/Deaf clients in education, and with clients with additional learning needs, Autistic Spectrum /ADHD/Dyspraxia/Aphasia, and other communication differences, Frances is experienced at working with a style and pace that is suitable for a person’s individual needs. Should a client have learning difficulties or physical communication differences, or wish to work in a more visual way, she can use BSL or Sign Supported English or adapt her sessions in other ways to be as comfortable and accessible as possible in the way that suits each person the most.