Tricia St Clair

I am a fully qualified psychodynamic counsellor with over 20 years experience.  I provide a quiet, non judgemental and confidential space in which we can explore the issues that concern you.  As an Accredited member of BACP, I am deeply committed to providing the best possible care for my clients, either face-to-face in person or while walking, online via zoom or by telephone.  

Sometimes it helps to be listened to; sometimes it is important to understand why things are the way they are.  You may feel 'stuck' and not know how to deal with a difficult issue. It could be that you are having difficulties with relationships with other people. You may have suffered a loss that you can't adjust to. Or, you may be unhappy for no apparent reason.

For many years before I trained as a Psychodynamic Counsellor, I worked as a homeopath.  That work gave me insight into the relationship between emotion and illness.  My counselling training enhanced my ability to work as a Homeopath and vice versa.  I no longer work as a Homeopath, choosing instead to direct my energy to my counselling and psychotherapy work.

EFT - Emotional Freedom Technique (aka TAPPING):  Since qualifying as an EFT practitioner I happily say it is by far the most useful technique I have used in my work, especially where trauma, deep anxiety, and pain issues are involved.  EFT goes a very long way to clearing blocked emotions that are preventing potential from being reached, in any area of your life.

Low-self esteem, creative challenges, relationship issues, bullying, abusive relationships, anger, anxiety, PTSD and trauma - these are the most frequent issues I encounter in my work.  Listening is a fundamental part of counselling and psychotherapy, and I will listen to you; actively listen, giving feedback from time to time, guiding you to explore the problem you bring, allowing you to come to a new understanding of what is happening to you and why. There will be no rush, you can go at your own pace.  If tapping seems appropriate to your situation, I will offer that to you. If a creative exercise seems appropriate, I may suggest that.  Counselling and pyschotherapy offer the opportunity to explore your past experiences and how they may be impacting on how your life is now. It may be that there is a repeating pattern of experience that has its roots in your early years. Whatever is back there can't be taken away, but some light might be shone on it and some understanding be found, that helps you to live in an easier way. EFT(tapping) can also relax the hold those early experiences have over you, letting you live more freely.

Creativity Coaching:  As an artist and crafts person, I understand all too well the difficulties that can show up to put a stop to creative activity. Whether your creative expression has ground to a halt or you need to tweek some of your familiar and unhelpful  thinking, I can offer help and support and possibly ask the right questions that can switch the light back on.  The issues that get in the way don’t differentiate between whether you are a musician, writer, painter, or any other form of creative person.  Writer’s Block may not adequately describe what happens to every type of creative person, but it is a way of signalling disquiet with one’s self, with one’s work, or even the complete lack of motivation leaning towards depression.

At the other end of the pendulum swing, you may have always told yourself “I’m not creative” and you feel you would now like to shift that belief.  If so I can support you in that journey - it is one I know well.  You may have been told you were showing off, or that your creative work was not good enough. Were you compared with others who were ‘better’ than you? The humiliation and deep pain can, and often does, persist throughout life, unless we turn and face it.

You may have been humiliated when you were exploring what was possible. Here’s the thing - it still is possible. You may need a new script but it IS possible.

There are many techniques, YouTube videos, and workshops that you could make use of. However, to have a human person giving you their complete attention while you search for a way through will make all the difference. Talk to me about your yearning.

Whatever you bring to work with, I won't offer you advice but I will help you to make decisions for yourself to discover what is underneath, what is happening to you.

I see clients in a number of different ways:

Face-to-face In-person: in a dedicated counselling room in my home in Cullompton, Devon.

Face-to-face while walking: Since mid 2019 I have been meeting clients outdoors in places where the session can be conducted in complete privacy.  When the weather is really awful, I resort to zoom sessions. These sessions are for clients who live or work in Mid-Devon.

Online: I use Zoom for online session which allows me to meet with clients anywhere in the world.

Telephone Counselling: For some, face-to-face or online counselling is not possible - it may be too distressing, or it may be that life circumstances prevent it.  Whatever the reason, it works for many clients.

Individuals: Adults, adolescents, and children:  £50 for each 60-minute session.

Couples: £70 for each 60-minute session

I am happy  to offer an half hour introductory meeting to help you make a decision.  You can use the time to ask questions or tell me what you would like help with. It can be a useful way of finding out if I am the right person for you to commit to working with me.

Supervision: qualified psychotherapists, counsellors, or members of related professions:
                    £50 for a 1-hour session, £65 for 1.5 hours.

Supervision: trainee counsellors in a placement:

                     £40 for a one hour session, £55 for 90 minute session