Claire Acfield
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
When I first sought therapy many years ago, I felt hugely overwhelmed with the long lists of counsellors, and bombarded with phrases and jargon which made no sense to me. All I wanted was a counsellor who was approachable, kind and would listen to me without interruption or judgement. Now I am a counsellor and have a better understanding of all of these terms and phrases, but I have never forgotten those key attributes I was looking for, and I try to uphold them in every client session.
I firmly believe that we are all experts on ourselves. Therefore, my role as a counsellor is not to give you advice or tell you what to do. I am there to listen as a non-judgmental professional who may ask questions to help you make sense of your issues and to work out why you do things in a certain way. By doing this it can help to improve your mental health and work towards positive therapeutic change in your life.
MY EXPERIENCE
I have a Level 4 Diploma in Integrative Counselling from The Mindspace Foundation.
I have experience of working with adult clients face to face at Sandhurst Counselling Service. Here I supported people with a wide range of presenting issues, including anxiety, depression, relationship issues, grief, attachment issues, identity, overwhelm and burnout.
I work at The Female Health Clinic in Hampshire as the clinic counsellor where I see clients both face to face and online. Many of them are women going through menopause and I am able to support their mental health during this huge life change. However, I see both men and women of all ages at the clinic.
MY APPROACH
I believe that a close working relationship between a counsellor and client is the most important factor in enabling therapeutic change to take place. I understand that this may not develop quickly and for some people it may take many sessions before they can fully trust their counsellor and feel able to speak freely and honestly. This is normal and I will work at your pace, not mine.
I am integratively trained which means that I may use different therapeutic approaches depending on what feels right for each client and their presenting issues. It definitely isn’t “one size fits all” as everyone is different and what one client may respond well to might not work for another. We can work together to get to know one another and decide what is most useful for you.
As a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) I work within an ethical framework and adhere to best practices to make sure that every client is supported during their counselling sessions.
I would love to hear from you so do drop me an email if you would like to book a short, free of charge video call to discuss further.
MY QUALIFICATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS
Level 4 Diploma in Integrative Counselling from The Mindspace Foundation
BACP Registered Member (MBACP)
Training, qualifications & experience
- Level 2 and 3 Counselling Skills - Farnborough College of Technology
- Level 4 Diploma in Integrated Counselling - Mindspace Foundation
- Self - Harm Awareness Training - 2023
- Suicide Awareness Training - 2024
- Online and Telephone Counselling - 2024
- Menopause Training with NCTI - 2024
- Bereavement Awareness Training - 2025
- As a member of the BACP I am committed to ongoing CPD training throughout the year.
Member organisations
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred). Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision. Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training. All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Fees
£60.00 per session
Free initial online session
When I work
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I can offer in person appointments at the Hartley Wintney clinic on a Wednesday and and Friday. I do have some flexibility with online sessions on other days if needed.
Further information
My counselling practice is based within a specialist hormone and menopause clinic in Hartley Wintney, Hampshire. I have a special interest in menopause, and helping women to navigate this huge change in their life. However, I see both male and female clients aged 18 and over.
