- Client-centered
- Trauma-informed
- Skill focused
About Frances
Frances Higgins is a licensed clinical social worker with three decades of clinical experience. She begins by listening closely to each person and then works together with them to choose the best way forward. Her style is down-to-earth and collaborative.
Frances uses a client-centered stance that keeps the person's goals in view. She blends practical tools from cognitive behavioral approaches with strength-focused and solution-oriented techniques. Sessions often include concrete steps clients can try between meetings.
She has considerable experience supporting people who have survived physical, sexual, or emotional abuse and draws on trauma-informed ideas to help manage symptoms and build safety. Frances also addresses stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addictions, and relationship concerns in straightforward terms.
Additional areas she helps with include parenting challenges, adoption and foster care matters, attachment issues, codependency, and the effects of caregiving or compassion fatigue. She also works with people navigating neurodiversity, such as autism and Asperger syndrome, and with first responder related stress.
Frances holds an MA and is a LICSW which reflects her social work background and clinical practice. She works with adults to identify priorities, reduce distress, and build skills that fit daily life. The focus in sessions is practical change delivered at a pace that suits each person.
How her approaches translate to online therapy
Attachment-Based Therapy emphasizes safe emotional connections and helps people understand patterns from early relationships and how those patterns affect current bonds. It can be useful for improving closeness, trust, and communication. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on practical strategies to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and is often used for anxiety, depression, and stress management. Client-Centered Therapy centers on listening, empathy, and supporting the person's own goals to foster self-direction and confidence.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Frances collaborates with each person to choose what will help most based on their needs, goals, and preferences. Together they can try an approach and adjust it over time if something else feels like a better fit.
The biography does not specify which remote session formats are used, so confirm the current options before booking. In general, online counseling can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. It also allows people to use tools developed in session right where they live, and to pace work in ways that match daily routines.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
30+ years
Credentials
Massachusetts
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does Frances help with?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addictions, relationship and intimacy concerns, and trauma and abuse. Other areas include parenting challenges, codependency, ADHD, and issues related to adoption and foster care.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her approach is client-centered and collaborative. She combines practical cognitive behavioral tools with strength-based and solution-focused techniques to create change that fits everyday life.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has around 30 years of experience working with a wide range of concerns and ages. That background includes long-term work with survivors of physical, sexual, or emotional abuse.
Where is Frances based and what are her credentials?
She is based in Massachusetts and holds an MA and a LICSW, which indicates a clinical social work license and graduate training in social work.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English. She also accepts international clients for remote work.
What session formats are offered?
The original biography does not list specific session formats. Please confirm current session options when scheduling to be sure they meet your needs.
How does pricing work for therapy with Frances?
Costs vary with location and the therapist's setup. Sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time, and exact fees depend on the match and scheduling arrangement.
How do I start a therapy process with her?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling according to the therapist's availability. That will initiate the intake and matching steps.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.