Meet the Therapist

About Claire

Claire has worked as a Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist since 2009, after achieving a BSc Psychology Degree (2.1) and MSc in Mental Health Nursing (Distinction). Her interest in CBT began during her nursing MSc and she decided to research the subject further. She focused her master’s dissertation on the efficacy of nurse-led computerised CBT and this led to her being selected as a mental health nurse to help set up one of the first IAPT/ CBT services in South Essex.

Claire spent 5 years working for the NHS ‘Therapy for You’ IAPT Service, and after this Claire worked at The Priory Hospital where she delivered individual outpatient CBT and inpatient group therapy.

She has also worked with adults and children as a private practitioner since 2012, with self-referrals and clients using private health care. Claire is recognised by most major providers, such as Bupa and Aviva. Claire has also worked for IESO Digital Health since 2015 providing NHS clients around the UK with online CBT.

Claire has worked with a range of different mental health difficulties – predominantly depression and anxiety disorders. She has a particular interest in OCD, Social Anxiety, Panic Disorders, PTSD/Trauma and Phobias. Claire enjoys working with clients of all ages and she has attended specialist child CBT workshops and paid for additional supervision to help her adapt CBT for children and adolescents.

In 2018 Claire completed a PTUK accredited, Post Graduate Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills. As part of her training she worked in a local primary and junior school delivering therapeutic play sessions to children aged 4-11 years. Claire now integrates therapeutic play and creative arts methods in to her child and adolescent CBT sessions where appropriate. Creative CBT based activities can be beneficial for some adults too.

Claire moved Guiding Minds Therapy to Ely, Cambridgeshire from Chelmsford, Essex in January 2022. She is able to offer face to face sessions to clients in her Ely office and as an experienced, specialist online therapist she can also offer video sessions to adolescents and adults based anywhere in the UK and she has also had therapy clients in Sweden, Japan and New Zealand.

Claire believes that a strong and trusting therapeutic relationship is the most important part of the therapy process, which is why she offers individuals and families the opportunity to meet her for free before starting a course of therapy at Guiding Minds.