Ruth Frances, BACP

Ruth Frances is a BACP counsellor with five years of experience supporting people through grief, depression and anxiety. She offers one-to-one sessions and works with individuals facing stress, relationship worries, trauma and the effects of illness. Ruth aims to create a warm, trusting space where people can speak plainly about hard topics.

Ruth takes a person-centred approach, so sessions focus on what matters to the individual. She also draws on cognitive behavioural techniques and attachment ideas to help people understand patterns of thought and relating. Her practice includes both shorter-term goal work and longer-term therapy depending on what someone needs.

Her background includes work with Cruse Bereavement Care and Macmillan, where she developed extra skills supporting people affected by bereavement and cancer. That experience informs how she talks about loss and life changes in sessions. Ruth keeps building her skills through continuing professional development.

People come to Ruth with a wide range of concerns. These include addictions, eating and sleeping difficulties, parenting strain, career stress, and issues tied to self-esteem or intimacy. She also supports those dealing with trauma, anger, bipolar mood challenges, and compassion fatigue.

Ruth holds BACP registration, which indicates professional membership with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. She practices from the United Kingdom and meets people in a way that fits their life, using video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging.

How Ruth’s approaches translate to online therapy

Ruth often uses a person-centred way of working that puts the person’s concerns at the heart of each session. This approach means the pace and topics are led by the individual, helping them feel heard and understood as they talk through difficult experiences.

She also draws on cognitive behavioural therapy, which focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing out different ways of responding. CBT can be useful for anxiety, low mood and coping with stressful situations by giving clear tools and small exercises to try between sessions.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. Ruth will discuss goals, preferences and practical needs and will help decide which methods to use. The plan can change over time as needs evolve, so decisions are collaborative and reviewed regularly.

Online sessions make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life. Video calls are close to face-to-face work and allow visual contact. Phone sessions can be a good option when bandwidth is limited or a simpler check-in is preferred. Live chat and text-based messaging suit shorter check-ins, ongoing reflections, or people who find writing easier than talking. These formats offer flexibility for different routines and energy levels.