About me
About Me
Hello, I'm Claire. I'm a counsellor based in Rayleigh, Essex, working with adults, young people and couples, both in person and online across the UK.
Maybe you've been feeling off for a while and can't quite put your finger on why. Maybe you know exactly what's wrong but haven't been able to say it out loud yet. Maybe you're functioning - getting through the days, keeping everything moving - but something underneath isn't sitting right.
Whatever's brought you here, you don't need to have it figured out before we start.
My approach is warm, grounded and genuinely tailored to you. I won't push you through a process or tell you how you should be feeling. What I will do is give you a space to breathe, slow down and make sense of things - not just on the surface, but underneath, where it really matters.
I work integratively, which means I follow your lead. Some people need to feel heard first and everything else comes after that. Some want to understand why they keep ending up in the same patterns - in relationships, in their own head, in their responses to things. Some want practical tools for what's happening right now. Whatever you need, we find a way that fits you.
What It's Like to Work Together
This is your space to drop the mask.
You don't have to arrive with the right words, explain yourself perfectly or apologise for struggling. You can show up exactly as you are - anxious, exhausted, numb, unsure, or simply not okay - and we'll start from there.
A lot of the people I work with have spent a long time feeling like a burden to the people around them. Like their feelings are too much, or not enough, or just a bit inconvenient. One of the things they often say is that finally being able to talk openly (without editing themselves, without managing someone else's reaction) brings a kind of relief they hadn't expected.
That's what this space is for.
Who I Work With
I work with people carrying all kinds of things. Some arrive knowing exactly what they want to explore. Others just know something needs to change.
I have a particular interest in working with people who:
- Find their mind working against them - anxiety, worry that won't switch off, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), intrusive thoughts, thought loops that feel impossible to break free from.
- Are hard on themselves in ways they'd never be with someone else - low self-confidence, self-criticism, perfectionism, the constant sense of not quite being enough.
- Find relationships complicated - whether that's about connection issues, patterns that keep repeating, a relationship that needs some proper attention, or family issues.
- Carry things from the past that are still shaping the present - without always being able to see how.
Alongside this, I work with attachment, loneliness, stress, and anything that falls under the broad and honest category of feeling like yourself isn't working the way you'd like it to.
Getting Started
Reaching out is often the hardest part.
You don't need to have it all together before you get in touch - that's what the sessions are for. I offer a free 15-minute consultation call, so you can get a sense of whether working together feels right, with no pressure and no commitment required. Don't want the consultation call? You're very welcome to go straight to booking a session instead.
📍 In person - Rayleigh, Essex (SS6)
🌐 Online - anywhere in the UK
🌐 argylecounselling.co.uk
Training, qualifications & experience
- BSc (Hons) Psychology
- Practitioner Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) - Level 5
- Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling - NCPS Accredited
- Relationship & Couples Counselling Certificate
- Certificates in Safeguarding Adults and Children
- Ongoing CPD including but not limited to grief, shame, guilt, anger, attachment, trauma-informed practice and OCD-specific training.
Member organisations
school Registered / Accredited
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.
The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society This Not For Profit association of counsellors and psychotherapists aim to support the counselling profession, members and training organisations. In 2013 the NCS register was accredited by the Professional Standards Authority under the Accredited Voluntary Register Scheme. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
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
Photos & videos
Fees
£60.00 - £120.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Free 15-minute introductory consultation available - no commitment required. Book by text, email or following the link above for "Book Intro Call".
Individual Therapy 50-minutes £60.00 (Rayleigh or Online)
Relationship & Couples Therapy 50-minutes £80.00 (Rayleigh or Online)
Relationship & Couples Therapy Extended 70-minutes £120.00 (Rayleigh or Online)
Concessionary rates are sometimes available, please ask.
Book your session by either text or email. Fees are payable upon booking and can be paid electronically.
Bookings can also be made by phone, but I am in session most of the day so may miss your call. If you opt for phone and do reach my voicemail, please leave a message so I can return your call.
Note: The calendar accessible via "Book Intro Call" only shows potential options for a short 15 -minute call. It does not reflect availability for full sessions.
When I work
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Further information
In-Person Sessions - Rayleigh
In-person sessions take place in a warm, comfortable room at the rear of my home in Rayleigh. A private, cosy space where we can focus entirely on you without interruption. Access is around the outside of the property and not through the property.
Argyle Counselling is based in Rayleigh SS6, just off the A127 with free street parking right outside. It's reachable by the No. 20 and 25 First Essex buses and is approximately 25–30 minutes walk from Rayleigh train station. It's easily accessible from Southend-on-Sea, Westcliff-on-Sea, Leigh-on-Sea, Hadleigh, Benfleet, Wickford, Hullbridge, Hockley and Rochford.
Please note: there is a small step into the room and no public toilet facilities on site. There is no lift or ramp access.
In-Person Sessions - Southend-on-Sea
This is a hired space. This location is reachable by train and bus with a short walk, and by car with pay and display parking outside the building and in surrounding streets.
Please note: this location has a large staircase to the room without lift or ramp access.
Online Sessions
Online sessions are available to anyone in the UK. You don't need to download anything, I'll send you a simple link to join. As with in-person sessions, you'll need a private space where you won't be overheard or interrupted.
