My name is Claire, I am a qualified Cognitive Behavioural Therapist (CBT) and Counsellor.

 

I work with depression and anxiety disorders such as Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Health Anxiety, Social Anxiety, Panic Disorder, Specific Phobias & PTSD.

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Being trained in a Psychodynamic modality of counselling means we can explore meanings behind current patterns of behaviours and be curious about how the past may be influencing those day to day.  The CBT element of my work is very much in the 'here and now', meaning you can choose where you would like to focus your therapy.  For some it may be about how symptoms are impacting day to day and you may prefer to focus your work there, for some, an exploration of how this originated may be preferred.  You are in control of your therapy, and I would be guided by you.

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Whatever your focus; entering therapy, particularly for the first time can be a scary prospect.  With this in mind, please take a look at some of my previous client’s testimonials to get an idea of what its like to work with me.  You can also look through my Google reviews.  I offer a free 15-minute telephone consultation to begin with where we decide if I could think I could be of help and if you think we would be a good ‘fit’ for therapy. 

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I take a psychoeducational approach to my work, meaning that whatever you present with you will leave therapy with a good understanding of how your brain and body work together, and how to gain some control of your emotions by understanding (in a very simplistic, but helpful way) your brain chemicals and practical ways to manage these to bring calm and reduce distress day to day.

 

I also offer long and short-term counselling, which may be more suitable if you are currently faced with a specific life event, and can work in a brief solution focused way.​

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I have experience working with children as well as adults and work 2 days a week at a local University supporting the needs of student’s mental health.  I have a keen interest in supporting survivors of emotionally abusive relationships or those that may be questioning if what they are experiencing is in fact, abuse.

Since the COVID19 pandemic we have seen a sharp rise in ADHD diagnosis and in my own practice I have had an increasing number of clients recognising Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).  This is a client group I really enjoy working with and am continually learning, by both undertaking training and by clients shared experiences, about the differences in the way we perceive the world.  I truly relish the opportunity to explore this with clients, understanding more clearly what may cause triggers and how these can be managed, addressing a level of self-care that we may not have been aware of if it were not for the ‘break’ many undiagnosed neurodivergents had over the lockdowns.

 

What ever your presentation, get in touch to book you consultation and let’s see if we can work together.

 

I look forward to hearing from you,

 

Claire