Claire Phillips, BACP

Claire Phillips is a counsellor with ten years of professional experience and registration with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). She offers a calm, non-judgemental space where people can talk through difficult thoughts and feelings. Claire aims to help people notice patterns in thinking and everyday habits and to find ways forward that feel right for them.

She describes a person-centred way of working that keeps the client’s experience at the heart of sessions. That means listening first, and shaping conversations around what matters to the person in front of her. Claire uses approaches such as attachment work, cognitive behavioural techniques and mindfulness to help people understand how past experiences and current thinking interact.

Claire has worked across a wide range of settings over the last decade, including NHS surgeries, prisons and drop-in centres. She has experience supporting people with trauma, substance and alcohol issues, self-harm and suicidal thoughts, as well as relationship and identity concerns. Her background includes time living and working in South East Asia and long experience in South East London, which she says informs a culturally aware way of working.

In sessions Claire helps people break down overwhelming problems into smaller steps. She encourages practical changes in daily habits alongside exploring painful memories and emotions. Her style is steady and compassionate, aiming to help people build on their strengths and move towards clearer thinking and better coping.

People who prefer thoughtful listening, a gentle challenge when needed, and an emphasis on both feelings and practical habits may find her approach helpful.

How Claire's approaches translate to online work

Claire uses person-centred ideas alongside attachment-based thinking and cognitive behavioural techniques. Person-centred work focuses on attentive listening and following what the client brings to the session, helping people feel heard and understood. Attachment-based work looks at how early relationships shape current ways of relating and can help with intimacy, trust and commitment concerns. Cognitive behavioural therapy helps identify unhelpful thoughts and everyday habits, and supports practical steps to change them.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. Claire will collaborate with each person to choose techniques that match their goals, needs and preferences, and will adapt sessions as progress unfolds.

The profile does not specify which online session formats are offered, so please confirm available options before booking. In general, online sessions can make it easier to fit counselling around daily life, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. They can also suit people who prefer not to be on camera or who need a quieter, lower-bandwidth option. Registered or accredited professionals, including counsellors, often use online ways of working to help clients make practical changes and reflect on thoughts and habits in everyday life.