My name is Claire, and I’m a counsellor with decades of ‘lived experience’, including managing Multiple Sclerosis myself.

I provide individual counselling and support for people exposed to chronic health conditions, which incorporates:

• Emotional management: managing fear, anxiety, frustration and other emotions related to chronic health conditions
• Mindfulness meditation: integration of mindfulness practices to enhance emotional well-being, (subject to your interest)

Who do I support?

• Individuals aged 16+ who live with a chronic health condition such as MS, cancer, arthritis, COPD, autoimmune diseases and diabetes
• Family members, carers and friends of those diagnosed, who are seeking support and understanding
• Adults undergoing other forms of loss too, be it due to bereavement or some other aspect of their lives

How does it work?

My counselling sessions are most commonly online and last 50 minutes each.

I always suggest that we have an initial phone conversation (free of charge) lasting 10- 20 minutes so that we can introduce ourselves to each other, and begin to understand what support might be beneficial for you.

We'll then discuss the best way to move forward, for example:

-            Session frequency (e.g. weekly or monthly)

-            Your preferred communication method (e.g. WhatsApp, phone call, Whereby, Facetime)

-            Your time zone and convenient hours

Occasionally just one or two sessions may be sufficient, but 6 to 12 is more common, sometimes spread out fortnightly after the first few weeks. Sessions are booked on a week by week basis with allowances obviously being made for holidays, meetings, emergency situations etc.

About me

I'm an ex-London based international market researcher, who retrained as a Counsellor 12 years ago having gone through numerous losses and upheavals along the way. Six years ago, by that time living in rural Herefordshire, I was unexpectedly diagnosed with 'good' Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS).

This came as a total shock. I felt angry, questioned ‘why me’, was frustrated and scared. There was very little support available which, realistically, I now realise can never be provided to the extent that would be helpful because MS, and other such conditions, can be wildly unpredictable in terms of how they progress.

Six years on I’ve learned to accept its presence, learned how best to manage it, discovered tools to help, and am looking forward to the end of scientists’ challenges in the face of myelin damage repair (as described in the recent MS Society Annual Lecture, 2024*). Meanwhile, I try to make the best of life.

I'm fully trained and qualified as an integrative counsellor, (from Bristol University where I gained a Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling), so very familiar with and sometimes practising of elements of CBT, Psychodynamic counselling, gestalt, and ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy) as appropriate on a client-by-client basis.

I’m also an enthusiastic practitioner of Mindfulness Meditation (having completed foundation teacher training through Breathworks (breathworks-minfdfulness.org.uk) which is something I may introduce into sessions if relevant and of interest to yourself.

I practice strictly ethically, in adherence with BACP guidelines, I'm underpinned by insurance and supervision and maintain confidentiality at all times (apart from within certain limitations).

My training, qualifications and experience:

• Post graduate diploma in Counselling from University of Bristol 2012 (an integrative course)
• Ex volunteer Cruse Bereavement
• Ex volunteer with Safe Haven (MIND, Hereford)
• Breathworks Mindfulness training (first stage)
• In addition to my private practice, I work with PsyCoach carrying out TV participant support and assessments for a variety of TV Production companies. 

If there is something affecting you, or someone close to you, for whatever reason, you don't need to handle it all on your own. I'm very happy to talk and share some of the load. You just have to take that first step and pick up the phone or send that email and we can take things from there.

Maybe you want to offload on someone who will be kind, compassionate, and have some real-life experience of whatever it is you're going through. Possibly it's a one-off conversation and that's all you need, maybe it's more - we won't know until we talk!

Take that final step and text or call me. It will be a privilege to hear from you.

contact details at bottom of this page