Claire Phillips

Claire Phillips is a counsellor with ten years' experience and registration with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). She creates a calm space where people can talk about difficult feelings. Claire aims to help people notice their strengths and make changes at their own pace.

She works in a person-centred way, listening with warmth and without judgement. That approach means the conversation follows what feels most important to the person rather than a fixed plan. Claire also draws on cognitive behavioural ideas and mindfulness when those tools fit a person’s needs.

Claire has worked in a range of settings over the last decade, including NHS surgeries, prisons and drop-in centres. She has experience with addiction, self-harm, suicidal thinking and trauma, and has supported people facing grief, relationship struggles, anger and parenting challenges. Her background includes time living and working in South East Asia and many years in South East London, which informs a culturally aware way of working.

In sessions Claire pays attention to how trauma can affect thinking, body reactions and behaviour. She aims to help people recognise patterns such as withdrawal, dissociation or substance use and to build practical steps away from those patterns. The pace and focus always adapt to what the person needs in the room.

People who come to Claire often want support with everyday stress, anxiety or life changes as well as longer-standing issues. She invites open conversation about goals, hopes and worries, and helps people find what works for them over time.

How Claire uses different approaches online

Claire often works from a person-centred foundation, offering warm, non-judgemental listening that helps a person tell their story and set the pace for change. That approach supports people who are unsure where to begin or who need space to explore feelings such as anger, grief or relationship strain.

She also uses cognitive behavioural therapy, which looks at how thoughts, feelings and behaviours connect. CBT helps by identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and trying small practical experiments to change how life feels. Mindfulness techniques are offered to help people notice bodily reactions and reduce reactivity in stressful moments.

Finding the best approach is a collaborative process. Claire will discuss options with each person, try different ways of working and adapt plans based on what helps most. The aim is to match methods to your goals, preferences and everyday life rather than follow a single formula.

The original biography does not list specific online formats, so please confirm current session options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy around work, travel or childcare, reduce the need to commute and allow shorter or more frequent check-ins when helpful. Registered or accredited professionals can use these benefits to make therapy more practical for daily life.