Claire Ballard
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
I know that taking the first step towards counselling can be very daunting. Please read below and maybe visit my website where I hope that you find all the information you need about how we might work together. If you can’t find what you are looking for, please contact me with any questions you have.
A bit about me: I am a counsellor and a researcher in developmental psychology, combining my therapy practice with expertise in mental health research. I was also a Samaritans Listener for many years and understand how frightening it feels to believe that things won't get better; but they can. I am passionate about supporting people to understand the factors affecting their mental health to bring more balance, resilience and contentment to their lives. Through my work with counselling clients and my research, I continue to develop a greater appreciation of the human experience and how our life histories can have such a profound impact on our wellbeing.
Our work together: As a counsellor, I provide a compassionate and client-centred approach to therapy. I will offer you a confidential space where you can hopefully learn to feel safe to explore your issues. With empathy and insight, I aim to guide you towards self-awareness, resilience and positive change; empowering you to achieve personal growth and make life just that bit easier. Feedback from clients is that I provide a calm space where they feel heard, validated and supported to view things from a different perspective.
Our relationship is central to the work that we do together; if we can build trust then we can explore most issues at a pace to suit you. I work with adults from all walks of life and who are experiencing a wide range of challenges, with a particular focus on anxiety, relationship difficulties, living with neurodivergence (for example, ADHD and autism). Using an integrative counselling model, I can be flexible and draw on different approaches driven by your unique needs. This can include person-centred, CBT and psychodynamic therapies as and when required.
I hope that this has given you a taste of how we might work together. Please feel free to contact me to arrange an initial discussion (30 minutes, free of charge).
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and hold graduate membership of the British Psychological Society (BPS). I hold the following relevant qualifications:
- CPCAB Certificate in Counselling Skills
- CPCAB Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
- BACP Certificate of Proficiency
- Fully trained Samaritans Listener with 7 years’ experience
- Graduate Certificate in Psychology, UCL
- MSc in Child Development, UCL
I engage in regular training and CPD activities to develop my counselling knowledge and skills and enhance my work with clients. Recent relevant training includes:
- Attachment
- Working with Trauma
- The Shame Monster
- Childhood anxiety problems: Helping parents to help their children
- The role of sleep in adolescent mental health
- Integrating artwork into your counselling
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
£65.00 per session
Free initial telephone or online session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
I offer a free initial online assessment of up to 30 minutes via telephone or Zoom. This gives you the opportunity to share your reasons for seeking therapy and for me to describe how I work. We can then both see how we feel about working together.
Please note I can currently only offer online sessions in my private practice.
When I work
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Further information
I currently work as a counsellor in private practice and with a local charity in Bromley providing financially accessible counselling.
At the moment I am only able to offer online counselling in my private practice.
