About Fran
Fran entered the care system as a baby following a series of incidents. After spending a couple of years in foster care, she was transracially adopted.
Growing up, Fran was a compliant child — until, as a teenager, she accidentally discovered that her biological mother, in what became a high-profile case, had later gone on to murder her sibling, who had been returned to her care.
Finding this information left Fran with presenting issues that continued to impact her daily life. When she eventually disclosed what she had found, she was led to believe that seeking support and finding answers would wrap everything up neatly.
Instead, traditional approaches only made things worse and looking into the past opened up Pandora’s box, exposing systemic failings and injustice. Her journey was further complicated by years of engulfing narcissistic abuse in adulthood, which completely eroded her sense of self.
Her own lived experiences fuelled Fran’s desire to find alternative ways of understanding trauma and healing — not just for herself, but for the many others who continue to live with the consequences of past trauma, alongside the stigma and judgement so often placed upon them. She spent years searching and learning.
When Fran discovered Havening, she realised the endless possibilities and hope it has to offer — not only in enhancing broader understanding of trauma, childhood trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), but also in changing the way traumatisation is understood, seen, and treated, and in offering opportunities for healing.
Fran is a Certified Havening Techniques® Practitioner and Trainer. She has many years of experience in elderly, end-of-life, and palliative care; served as a trustee for the Open Nest Charity; is an independent panel member- adoption panel; co-founder of the Transracial Adult Adoptee Network (TAAN).
Additionally, Fran was involved in the early beginnings of Tina's Haven — a catalyst for emancipatory praxis, rooted in nature, creativity, and collective healing for women separated from their children due to trauma-based addictions. She also wrote the foreword for the powerful anthology It’s Not Symptomatic, It’s Systemic from Sunday Mornings at the River, that unravels the intricate layers of trauma, resilience, and the systemic forces that shape our lives.
Fran is passionate about collaboration, creativity, and inclusion. She remains committed to elevating lived experience to inform systemic change, and contribute to grassroots movements to make a difference.