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I’m Clare and I am a qualified and fully insured counsellor and psychotherapist. I work with adults (18 and above) offering in person and video sessions via Zoom to clients across the UK. In person sessions are located in Newmillerdam, Wakefield, WF2.

Life is full of challenges and at times, and we all need help to find a way through. You may have experienced childhood abuse, sexual violence as an adult or another traumatic event. You could be struggling following a bereavement or end of a relationship. You may feel overwhelmed, stressed and ‘frazzled’ due to work and other responsibilities, trapped or bored in your current circumstances.

We could work together to:

-create a space for you to explore and better understand your situation

-help find your purpose and re-balance your priorities

-understand how patterns established in childhood may be affecting your life now

-make sense of some of your feelings, behaviours and relational patterns

-help you develop self-compassion towards your thoughts, feeling and behaviours and learning how to make some changes if you wish

-develop your confidence and self-esteem

-work through the impact of a past trauma

I have additional training and experience in the following areas:

-Working with adults who had were abused or neglected as children and/or whose parent/s or carers had mental health difficulties and/or addictions

-Working with survivors of of trauma, such as sexual violence

-Working with loss and bereavement

-Working with adults living with dementia and their carers

I understand that taking the first step to access therapy can feel difficult so please feel free to contact me via email, text or leave a voice message to arrange an informal call (or email exchange) to help you decide if I am the right therapist for you.

I use a range of theories to inform the way I work, adapting the way I work to your needs*. I provide a safe confidential and supportive space, where you can explore your difficulties where we will work together to help you find a way forward. Having a space to focus on your needs can be healing in itself, or you may find you need a bit more from a therapist.  We can work together to understand your current feelings and situation, identifying how you would like to be and any patterns getting in the way.

My fees are £55 for a 50 minute session. The first session may take up to 60 minutes but there will be no charge for any additional time spent during this first session.

I can offer a fee reduction for counselling and psychotherapy students.  Please ask for further details. 

Please note, to avoid dual relationships, I am also unable to work with you if you know me personally or professionally or if I have worked with a relative or close friend. 

*I am a relational, integrative therapist drawing strongly on humanistic and psychodynamic concepts. 

The first therapy session is an assessment session, lasting for 50-60 minutes and costs £55. This allows me to find out about your current difficulties and aims for therapy.  It also enables us to get to know one another a little and for you to assess me, asking any questions you may have. This will help us both to decide if I can be of assistance to you.  The is no obligation to continue therapy following the assessment session. 

Teaching Experience

I am a Senior Lecturer in Psychotherapy at Metanoia Institute. I have also worked as a Senior Lecturer / Lecturer in Psychological Therapies and Mental Health at Leeds Beckett University. My teaching experience has included delivering lectures, experiential sessions, facilitating Personal and Professional Development / group process groups and facilitating counselling skills sessions. 

I have provided bereavement training for Cruse Bereavement Care as part of their national training team to a range of organisations and also delivered their bereavement volunteer training. I have also provided bereavement training on behalf of Leeds Bereavement Forum. 

Before I became a psychotherapist I delivered dementia training in the NHS as part of my role and worked as a National Trainer for Alzheimer's Society. 

Experience

As a counsellor and psychotherapist I have worked in private practice, bereavement services and in sexual violence services. I have also acted as a supervisor for Cruse Bereavement and delivered bereavement training on behalf of Leeds Bereavement Forum and Cruse Bereavement to volunteers and a range of organisations. I have a special interest in making bereavement support accessible for people with learning disabilities. I previously working for Alzheimers Society as a dementia trainer. 

I have a  private practice where I work with adult clients offering in person and video sessions via Zoom to clients across the UK. I also offer supervision. 

I am currently undertaking a PhD exploring the experiences of older adults who have been affected by sexual abuse. 

I am a relational, integrative therapist drawing strongly on humanistic and psychodynamic concepts. I am also influenced by the pluralistic approach and strive to apply trauma informed principles to my work. Depending on the specific needs of clients I integrate additional approaches exploring significant events and illuminating relational patterns, while holding the clients phenomenological experiencing mind. I may use elements of parts work, creative therapy (e.g. objects), Emotion Focused Therapy, Transactional Analysis and CBT with specific clients. I integrate neuro-biologically informed psycho-education, helping client to understand the basis of their trauma responses.

I have additional training and experience in the following areas:

-Working with adults who had were abused or neglected as children and/or whose parent/s or carers had mental health difficulties and/or addictions

-Working with survivors of of trauma, such as sexual violence

-Working with loss and bereavement

-Working with adults living with dementia and their carers

I am a counsellor, psychotherapist and supervisor. 

Experience

Initially, I trained as an occupational therapist, where I gained experience working in the NHS with people living with a range of conditions affecting their mental health, cognitive skills and physical health and abilities. This combined with placement experience in an NHS IAPT service means that I have skills in supporting people with mental health difficulties to navigate this complex system. 

I hold an MSc in Dementia Studies and my highest level counselling qualification is a Level 7 Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy, where I gained a distinction. 

As a counsellor and psychotherapist I have worked in private practice, bereavement services and in sexual violence services. I have also acted as a supervisor for Cruse Bereavement and delivered bereavement training on behalf of Leeds Bereavement Forum and Cruse Bereavement to volunteers and a range of organisations. I have a special interest in making bereavement support accessible for people with learning disabilities. 

Current Work

I work with adult clients from age 18+ offering in person and video sessions via Zoom to clients across the UK. I also offer supervision. I am currently focusing on supervising trainee therapists. 

I am also a Senior Lecturer in Psychotherapy at Metanoia Institute. I also undertaking a PhD exploring the experiences of older adults who have been affected by sexual abuse. 

How I work

I am a relational, integrative therapist  drawing strongly on humanistic and psychodynamic concepts. I am also influenced by the pluralistic approach and strive to apply trauma informed principles to my work. Depending on the specific needs of clients I integrate additional approaches exploring significant events and illuminating relational patterns, while holding the clients phenomenological experiencing mind. I may use elements of parts work, creative therapy (e.g. objects), Emotion Focused Therapy, Transactional Analysis and CBT with specific clients. I integrate neuro-biologically informed psycho-education, helping client to understand the basis of their trauma responses.

Supervision

My supervision experience includes supervising clinicians in the NHS, trainee therapists and volunteers at Cruse Bereavement. I have also written a Level 6 Distance Learning module on Supervision for students studying a Top-Up degree in Counselling at Leeds Beckett University.

I have been trained in the use of a number of supervision models including the 7 eyed model and the Cyclical Model.  However, the specific approach we take to  supervision will become unique to your own needs. We will explore your specific supervision needs, your goals and mandatory requirements of your course. I take a developmental approach to supervision, so the way we work will vary, depending on where you are in your training. We will work together to support your development into an independent practitioner. 

I offer a 20-30 minute chemistry session (no charge) to student therapists to help you decide if I am the right supervisor for you.