Francesca Sciandra

Hello, I’m Francesca, an integrative therapist offering accepting, open-minded, and culturally sensitive therapy for individuals and couples.

You might be here because something needs to shift in your relationship, your inner world, or how you move through life. I offer both compassionate attunement and the gentle challenge needed for real growth. My approach is warm, direct, and focused on what matters to you. I provide online individual therapy, hypnotherapy, and couples therapy. I also offer in-person couples intensives for immersive work.

Who I Work With

Clients often come to me feeling caught in repeated dynamics, struggling with self-worth, overwhelmed by stress or anxiety, or longing for more fulfilling relationships. Through an integrative and experiential process, you’ll learn to understand your developmental patterns, express your needs without shame, and cultivate relationships rooted in authenticity, respect, and emotional safety.

• I work with individuals seeking deeper self-understanding, navigating complex relationships, processing past experiences, or transforming patterns that keep them stuck.

• I support couples working through conflict, rebuilding trust after betrayal, deepening intimacy, or feeling committed but unable to move forward.

The outcome of our work is not simply feeling better, it’s becoming more grounded, more confident, and more able to create the relationships and life you actually want.

My Approach

I blend relational work with creative, experiential methods that turn insight into embodied change. Unlike traditional talk therapy, we don’t just discuss patterns; we work with them directly. This means exploring how early attachment shapes your relationships, how different parts of yourself hold conflicting needs, and how unprocessed experiences continue to influence your present.

My integrative practice draws on evidence-based approaches, depth psychology, and relational intelligence to support genuine transformation. I’m trained in psychodynamic therapy, humanistic and person-centred therapy, Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT), inner child work, and hypnotherapy. Rather than adhering to one method, I adapt to what you need. The work is grounded in your lived experience and shaped by what matters most to you. You’re always welcome to ask questions about our work together.

My Specialisms

I specialise in deep relational work, helping individuals and couples transform long-standing emotional and relational patterns. My focus areas include:

Attachment and Relational Patterns

• Attachment wounds and insecure attachment styles (anxious, avoidant, disorganised)

• Childhood neglect and developmental trauma

• Relationship ambivalence and commitment difficulties

• Conflict and communication challenges

Emotional and Physical Intimacy

• Intimacy concerns and sexual shame

• Creating emotional and physical safety in relationships

Individual Growth and Healing

• Anxiety, depression, and low self-confidence

• Anger, loneliness, and sleep difficulties

• Processing past experiences and building emotional maturity

• Developing secure, resilient connections

Integration and Expanded States

• Processing and integrating psychedelic experiences

I create a non-judgmental space where you can explore challenging experiences and emotions. Whether you’re facing a crisis or know there’s more depth to explore, I offer a practice grounded in relational attunement and genuine curiosity about who you are and who you’re becoming.

My Background

I’m originally from the northeastern United States. After graduate studies in Spain, I lived in Italy and Portugal before making the UK my home over a decade ago.

Living across cultures has taught me about adaptation, belonging, and how identity shifts and deepens through different contexts. I understand the complexity of holding multiple cultural experiences and creating a sense of self that honours all of who you are.

Writing and Resources

I write Everyday Lovers, a newsletter exploring inner work, relational insight, and the slow transformations that shape how we love. Through essays and reflections, I examine deeper questions: How do attachment patterns shape our relationships? Why does self-compassion matter? How can we nurture our inner child for deep healing?

Subscribe to Everyday Lovers ⟶

My blog offers articles on specific therapeutic topics, including attachment styles, couples dynamics, relationship challenges, and the therapeutic process. These posts provide accessible education and practical guidance. Explore the blog ⟶

Supervision Services

To support the development of other practitioners, I provide one-to-one supervision for hypnotherapists. I’m an acknowledged supervisor with the General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR) and offer supervision for trainees, newly registered hypnotherapists, and experienced hypnotherapists.

Professional Credentials

Registrations & Memberships

• Registered Hypnotherapist and Acknowledged Supervisor, General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR)

• UKCP Trainee Psychotherapist, United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)

• Associate Member, The National Society of Talking Therapies (NSTT)

• International Affiliate, Society for Humanistic Psychology, American Psychological Association (APA), Division 32

Primary Qualifications

• Diploma in Hypno-Psychotherapeutic Counselling, The National College of Hypnosis and Psychotherapy

• Diploma in Analytical Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy, Jacquelyne Morison Hypnotherapy Training

Additional Training & Certifications

• Professional Certificate in Couples Therapy, Institute of Couples Therapy

• Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT) Externship, International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT)

• Foundations of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy, Beckley Academy

• Certificate in Trauma Informed Practice, Holistic Trauma Course, Weekend University

• Certificate in Online Therapy, The National College of Hypnosis & Psychotherapy

• Certificate in Hypnotherapy Supervision, Yorkshire Hypnotherapy Training

• De-Escalating Psychedelic Crisis Certification, PsyCare UK

Continuing Professional Development

To support my ongoing learning, I regularly attend continuing education courses and workshops, including:

• Intimacy From the Inside Out (IFIO) - Internal Family Systems (IFS) for Couples, IFS Institute

• Intensive Couples Therapy: An Accelerated Approach to Repair, Stabilize, and Strengthen Couples in Crisis with Elizabeth Earnshaw, LMFT, CGT

• Relational Life Therapy (RLT): Level 1, Relational Life Institute

• An Introduction to Systemic Practice, Center For Family Based Training

• Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT) with Robin Williams Blake, Dr James Hawkins, and Kathryn de Bruin

• Financial Therapy Master Series, Financial Therapy Clinical Institute

• Self-Led Sexuality through Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy: A Parts Work Approach for Healing, Intimacy, Pleasure and Connection with Patricia Rich

• The Somatic Processing of Pre-Verbal Trauma In Psychedelic Assisted Therapy with Rob Ó Cobhthaigh

• Healing Emotional Neglect: Trauma-Informed Somatic Tools for Co-Regulation and Repair in Psychedelic Sessions with Atira Tan

• A Psychoanalytic Understanding of the Couple Relationship with Mary Morgan, TR Together

• The Presence of the Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapist with Nancy Sowell

• The Psychology of Erotic Fantasies and Behaviours with Professor Brett Kahr, TR Together

• Integrating Psychedelic Experiences, Centre of Applied Jungian Studies

• Working Effectively with Parts, The National College of Hypnosis & Psychotherapy

• Dreaming on Purpose: Exploring the Inner Landscapes Through Psychotherapeutic Dreamwork, The National College of Hypnosis & Psychotherapy

• Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Psychedelic Therapy, Psychedelic Support

• Unveiling the Mind: Convergence of Hypnotic and Psychedelic Realities, The Netherlands Society for Hypnosis

• Pelvic Health and Sexual Function, Contemporary Institute of Clinical Sexology

• The Role of Spirituality and Meaning-Making in Recovery with Guy du Plessis

• Internal Family Systems (IFS) for Addictive Processes with Cece Sykes

• Harm Reduction: A Foundation for Addiction Treatment with Andrew Tatarsky

• Identifying and Disrupting Financial Shame, Trauma of Money

• Unpacking Complex Trauma, UK Trauma Council

• Freud and Jung on Dreams with Keith Barrett, Freud Museum London

• Clinical Hypnosis in the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders with David B. Reid, PsyD, The Chicago School

• Psychoanalysis after Freud: Donald Winnicott and ‘Playing and Reality’ with Keith Barrett, Freud Museum London

• Re-thinking Depression: Insights Emerging from Hard Times with Michael Yapko, PhD, The Chicago School

• Trauma, Dissociation and the Body with Dr. Pat Ogden, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute

• Introduction to Liberation Psychologies for Social Justice with Sylwia Korsak, Therapy and Social Change Seminar

• Psychedelics and the Mind, University of California, Berkeley, edX

• How Trauma Shapes our Attachment Style with Dr Diane Poole Heller

• Childhood Adversity: The Impact of Childhood Maltreatment on Mental Health, University College London

• Too Much of Nothing: The Quiet Trauma of Neglect with Ruth Cohn, MFT

• Political Movements and Decentering Privilege with Dr Orna Guralnik, Therapy and Social Change Seminar

• Working at Relational Depth in Psychotherapy with Mick Cooper

Ethics and Standards of Care

My practice follows the codes of ethics and standards of practice of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) and the General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR). I receive ongoing supervision from a UKCP-registered supervisor.

Ready to Begin?

Book a consultation to explore how we might work together. We’ll discuss what's bringing you to therapy, answer any questions you have, and determine whether my approach feels right for you.