Hi, my name is Francesca. I grew up in Italy but have spent half of my life abroad, an experience that shaped my sensitivity to belonging, identity, and cross-cultural dynamics (I do have a podcast on mental health and life abroad, called “We are here, too – on mental health abroad”).
With a background in International Relations and Peace Studies, I ground my work in a systemic understanding of trauma and oppression. Over the years, I have worked as a support/advocacy worker first, then as a counsellor and supervisor in services supporting refugees, survivors of trafficking, people who use substances, and those involved with the criminal justice system. There, I deepened my systemic understanding of trauma, learned how to create safety, and supported clients in discovering it for themselves. I also served as a senior counsellor at a local alcohol service, supervising counsellors in training.
Since 2017, I have also volunteered with Time and Space, a therapeutic community for people who hear voices, dissociate, and self-harm.
My early studies (a degree in International Relationships and Peace Studies) helped me understand human distress through the lens of power dynamics and systemic oppression, which remains the foundation of my work as a therapist with both individuals and couples, in supervision, training and classes.
In recent years, I have also developed a somatic practice that integrates body-based awareness with ecological connection, shaping my work as an eco-somatic therapist and educator. I have a bi-monthly newsletter on themes of body, nature and the politics of belonging, called “Rooted in motion”.
When I’m not working, I return to nature (hands in the soil at the allotment, wandering the hills or being around bodies of water). These places are where I root, restore, and remember my belonging. They remind me that healing is always relational, embodied, and connected to the world around us.
