Welcome.

I’m Clare, an experienced counsellor, coach and supervisor working in Henleaze, Bristol.

Counselling:

As an experienced, BACP accredited counsellor, I support people (18+) facing a whole range of challenges.

Counselling with me offers a confidential, calm and supportive space where you can talk openly about your thoughts and feelings, without fear of judgement or criticism.

People I work with regularly comment on how helpful it is to talk to someone outside their usual circles and of the release they feel when they say things out loud to a trained professional, who listens and helps them to explore things in a way they haven’t done before. My aim is to work with you to help you understand yourself better and with this enhanced understanding, find new perspectives and a clearer way forward.

I look forward to working with you.

My approach:
Integrative counselling.

I offer a warm, down to earth yet professional approach.

Talking things through can be difficult and bring mixed and strong emotions.  I always aim to work at your pace.  I believe that my clients have the ability to grow towards fulfilling their own potential and that they are the experts on their own lives.  I will therefore not give you advice or offer solutions, but will work with you to help you understand yourself more fully to facilitate you finding your own way through the issues you face.  I may at times offer suggestions and information if I feel this might be helpful.

 

I’m an integrative therapist and have knowledge of a number of different theoretical approaches which I draw on to meet your individual needs.  I work using the relational model, with a particular emphasis on person centred, psychodynamic, CBT and compassion focused thinking.

To get the most out of counselling, I believe an initial period of regular sessions, usually weekly, works best.  I offer short term counselling and long term therapy, depending on your needs.  We will discuss at the outset what feels most appropriate and then regularly review where you are in our work together, as the work progresses.

Couples Counselling:

 
Whatever you’d like to work on in your relationship, I offer a safe, therapeutic space for couples to have constructive conversations to address any challenges they are facing.

My aim is to help couples communicate openly and honestly with each other about how they feel, to explore what they understand is happening in the relationship, to think about what they’d like to change and how they might move forward.

I usually suggest weekly sessions to begin with, after which, we will review your needs together and agree next steps.

“The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases.”

Carl Jung

Coaching:

It can be difficult to find time and space in our everyday lives to stop, to think about what’s important to us and what we really need.  Nancy Kline, creator of ‘The Thinking Environment’ says: ‘the quality of everything that we do depends on the quality of the thinking that we do first’.  I
believe your thinking is the best resource available to you and my aim is to facilitate a space for you to access it.

At it’s very simplest, coaching with me offers a non judgmental and confidential space for you to think, to listen and connect to yourself.  I’m looking to help you understand yourself better, identify what you’d like to be different, and how best you can move forward and implement constructive change.  How this happens is different for everyone and very much depends on what you need, but as part of the process, I may offer concepts, tools and ideas for you to work with.

Coaching is not dissimilar to counselling and I use many of the same skills in both ways of working; for me, a key difference between the two is that coaching’s primary focus is forward facing.  We think together about where you want to get to, whereas counselling often involves taking time to look back, process what’s happened to you and work through difficult emotions.  It may be you’re not sure which would suit you best and we can discuss this in an initial session and agree a tailored pathway for you.

I usually offer coaching in blocks of 6 sessions at intervals to suit your needs which we discuss in an initial meeting.

“So often, when we feel lost, adrift in our lives, our first instinct is to look out into the distance to find the nearest shore. But that shore, that solid ground, is within us. The anchor we are searching for is connection, and it is internal.’”

Brené Brown
Atlas Of The Heart

Supervision:

I work with therapists (qualified and trainees) in private practice and organisations.  I also offer supervision to people working in other helping professions, including those working in charities, caseworkers and family lawyers.

As a qualified and experienced therapist, coach and supervisor, I use of blend of skills to provide a calm and supportive supervision space, which allows you to explore all aspects of your work.

My approach is relational and integrative. I aim to build a collaborative working relationship with my supervisees, to both nurture and challenge, with the aim of facilitating learning, growth and support for your wellbeing and ultimately to help you provide the best support possible for your clients.

My background in law (as a solicitor for 12 years) also gives me a solid understanding of organisational dynamics, as well as the law and ethics that arise in the day-to-day work in the helping professions.

Practicalities:
What to expect.

Fees
Weekly individual counselling – £60 per session
Couples counselling – £80 per session
Supervision & coaching – please contact me for details.
 

 

Location
I offer both online and in-person sessions (in Henleaze, Bristol), dependent on availability and personal circumstances.

 

 
Confidentiality
What you share with me will be kept confidential. However, there are some standard professional exceptions, which I discuss in the initial session.
 

 

 
Cancellations
I charge my full fee for sessions cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice.

 

About Me:

I am a BACP accredited counsellor, supervisor and coach with experience of working in and with a wide variety of organisations. I established my private practice in 2014 but have also worked in NHS Primary Care, a university counselling service and various local counselling agencies including Penny Brohn UK, Network Counselling and Mothers for Mothers.
 
In my work, I have supported people facing issues such as depression, anxiety, lack of confidence and self esteem, relationship difficulties, struggles with personal identity, abuse, trauma, loss and bereavement, long term health conditions, work and family issues, pregnancy related issues and loss, post natal illness, parenting and life transitions.

 

Qualifications and Training:

Diploma in Professional Studies (Counselling), UWE (BACP accredited)
Advanced Certificate in Relationship Therapy (CORST approved)
ILM Level 5 Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring, UWE
Diploma in Online and Distance Therapy (BACP approved)
Advanced Diploma in Relational Supervision (NCS accredited)
Post Graduate Certificate in Legal Practice, UWE
LLB (Hons), University of Exeter (First Class)

Contact Me

To book an appointment or to have an initial confidential conversation, please contact me.

 

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Henleaze, Bristol BS9

07505 912740