Frances Higgins

Compassionate, experienced clinician focused on practical healing

LICSW Massachusetts

Experience: 30 years in practice
Focus areas: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Family
Approaches: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Attachment-Based Therapy
Languages: English

About Frances

Frances Higgins brings three decades of clinical practice to her work in Massachusetts, combining attentive listening with pragmatic therapeutic tools.

Background and approach

LICSW indicates a Masters-level clinical social work license, and her background includes long-term support for people facing stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, relationship and family concerns, addictions, grief, and many related issues. She tailors interventions to what clients need, drawing on approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy alongside client-centered and trauma-informed thinking.

Her style centers on collaboration: Frances begins by hearing each person’s story and then helps identify the most useful strategies, whether that means building skills, exploring emotional patterns, or addressing attachment wounds.

She also brings experience working with complex areas such as adoption and foster care, autism and Asperger Syndrome, blended family dynamics, and issues like codependency, dissociation, or forgiveness. Frances accepts international clients and offers multiple session formats to fit different lives, guiding people toward clearer choices and practical coping tools while attending to deeper healing over time.

Practical therapeutic approaches for online care

Frances works with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Attachment-Based Therapy as central tools in her online practice. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, offering concrete skills for managing anxiety, depression, and related symptoms. Attachment-Based Therapy explores patterns in close relationships and how early bonds shape current emotional responses, which can be useful for relationship difficulties, attachment issues, and grief.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist listens to each client's concerns, goals, and preferences and together they decide which methods to emphasize, adjusting the plan over time as progress and needs evolve.

Online therapy with Frances is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to provide flexibility and easier access. These formats allow people to fit sessions into busy schedules, access support from different locations including internationally, and maintain continuity of care when in-person meetings are not practical.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does this therapist address?

Frances Higgins works with a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, relationship and family problems, addictions, grief, intimacy-related issues, eating concerns, parenting challenges, anger, self esteem, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and compassion fatigue.

What is the therapist's general approach and style?

The approach is collaborative and client-centered, emphasizing listening first and then choosing interventions together. Frances blends cognitive behavioral tools with strengths-based, solution-focused, and trauma-informed strategies as appropriate.

How much clinical experience does the therapist have?

She has 30 years of experience providing therapy across a variety of presenting concerns and populations.

What credentials and location are listed for this therapist?

The clinician holds an MA and LICSW with license number MA LICSW 1018324 and practices in Massachusetts.

Does the therapist work with international clients or in other languages?

Sessions are offered in English and the therapist accepts international clients.

Which session formats are available for therapy?

Frances provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences and needs.

How does cost and subscription work for sessions?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

What are the steps to begin working with this therapist?

To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesFamily conflictsTrauma and abuse Depression

Also works with

Addictions GriefIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemBipolar disorderCoachingCompassion fatigue ADHD

Additional focus areas

Adoption and foster careAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeBlended family issuesCodependencyCommunication problemsDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)DissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceFamily problemsFirst responder issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHIV / AIDSHospice and end-of-life counselingImpulsivityInfidelityJealousyMidlife crisisMood disorders Obsessions, compulsions, and OCDPersonality disordersPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSexual assault and abuseYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)

Experience

30+ years

Licensed

Massachusetts

Languages

English