About me
Feeling overwhelmed, stuck in overthinking, or constantly on edge? You don't have to carry it all alone.
When living with anxiety or burnout, everyday life can start to feel like an uphill climb. You might be physically exhausted, yet your mind refuses to quiet down. I offer a warm, compassionate, and grounded space in Macclesfield, Cheshire or online, where you can slow down, feel truly heard, and begin to find your way back to yourself.
Do any of these sound familiar?
A nervous system on high alert: A tight chest, a racing heart, or a heavy pit in your stomach that pulls your focus inward.
The 'What If' spiral: A mind that constantly scans ahead, catastrophises, and overthinks every scenario.
Waking up with dread: A heavy cloud of anxiety washing over you before your day has even started.
Mental replay: Re-running conversations in your head, wondering if you said the wrong thing or disappointed someone.
Quiet self-doubt: An inner voice whispering that you aren't doing enough, keeping up, or "getting it right."
Shrinking your world: Avoiding certain social spaces, tasks, or situations just to keep the overwhelm manageable
If you recognise yourself here, please know that you are not broken, and you are not crazy. Your mind and body are simply doing their best to protect you, your internal alarm system has just gotten far too loud.
How We Can Work Together
Whether you have been living with anxiety for years, trying all the breathing exercises, podcasts, and books without lasting relief, or you are facing a fresh season of overwhelm, therapy offers a place to land.
I specialise in helping women navigate anxiety, overthinking, burnout, and grief.
Rather than using a rigid, one-size-fits-all approach, I work integratively. I gently weave together Person-Centred Therapy, CBT, Psychodynamic insights, and Somatic regulation practices, always delivered through a trauma-informed lens. We don't just intellectualise your emotions; we work safely with both your mind and your body.
What Recovery Can Look Like
Therapy isn't about becoming a "perfect" or stress-free person. It is about building a gentle, compassionate relationship with yourself so anxiety no longer dictates your choices.
Together, we work toward a place where:
Anxiety settles: It becomes quiet background noise rather than an all-consuming alarm.
Intrusive thoughts soften: You notice anxious thoughts without automatically believing them or feeling destabilised.
Self-compassion replaces criticism: You understand why your body responds the way it does, treating yourself with kindness rather than frustration.
Rest becomes possible: You can turn off the constant mental check-lists and enjoy genuine, restorative rest.
You feel like yourself again: Rebuilding your confidence, trusting your decisions, and reconnecting with joy.
My Approach
A Foundation of Safety: Real change only happens when you feel safe, seen, and genuinely understood. Our priority will always be creating a calm, non-judgmental environment.
Understanding Your Story: We look at the whole picture, your background, relationships, internalised expectations, and unique wiring, to make sense of why anxiety showed up in the first place.
Tailored Tools: We use proven, gentle interventions to help regulate your nervous system, untangle rumination, and rebuild your capacity for life.
Pacing That Works for You: Healing isn't linear. I will walk alongside you step-by-step, helping you consolidate your progress so change actually lasts.
Taking the Next Step
Reaching out can feel like the hardest part, but you don't need to have everything figured out before you get in touch. We can unpack it together, one step at a time.
Getting Started:
I offer a complimentary initial phone conversation so we can discuss what you're looking for, answer any questions you have, and see if we feel like a good fit to work together.
Send me an email or message today, and let's take that first step together.
Training, qualifications & experience
I hold a Level 6 Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapeutic Counselling (awarded with Distinction) and I'm a Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP). My practice adheres strictly to the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions.
Alongside my core clinical training, I hold specialist qualifications in working with the effects of trauma, bereavement and loss counselling as well as counselling for sight loss.
Clinical Credentials & Professional Registrations:
BACP Registered Member: MBACP (Registered Member 420422)
Level 6 Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapeutic Counselling : Awarded with Distinction (University of Staffordshire)
Certified Grief Informed Professional (CGP) (Evergreen Certifications)
Advanced CPD Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP-I & CCTP-II): Specialist qualification focusing on complex trauma, CPTSD, somatic interventions, and severe autonomic dysregulation (PESI UK)
Specialist CPD:
BACP: Working with: Domestic abuse and risk management
Trauma Coaching and Polyvagal Nervous System Mapping
RNIB Counselling for Sight Loss Course
RNIB Domestic Violence and Sight Loss Course.
Experience & Background: My clinical background includes work with individual adults and young people, complex trauma presentations, domestic abuse recovery, pre and post bereavement, and individuals dealing with various levels of current and ongoing sight loss.
Alongside my private practice, I currently provide voluntary counselling services at Stockport Women's Centre and at East Cheshire Hospice.
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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
I have experience working with people experiencing or who have experienced sight loss.
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£45.00 - £55.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
- Sessions are charged at £55 per session, which is 50 minutes
- Concessions are available for students and clients over 65; Concession rate is £45
Some background on fees: Fees do not just cover my hourly rate; they also cover expenses such as insurance, membership of my professional body, and ICO registration to ensure that you, as the client, are kept safe in our work together.
Further information
Beyond my clinical training, I am, first and foremost, a human being who understands the messy, complex, and beautiful reality of navigating life’s transitions. I know what it is like to balance the heavy juggling acts of modern life, to face seasons of struggle, and to do the hard, internal work of healing. I don't sit in the therapy room as a detached expert pointing from afar; I sit there as a down-to-earth companion who respects just how much courage it takes to look inward.
Outside of the practice, I find my own grounding in the quiet simplicity of nature while walking my dog, the mindfulness of tending to my garden, and spending time with my family.
Getting Started
Starting therapy can feel like a huge step, and finding the right practitioner is essential for effective clinical work.
I offer a complimentary, no-obligation 20-minute initial phone consultation. This provides a quiet space for us to introduce ourselves, discuss what you're experiencing, and ensure we feel like a comfortable clinical fit.
To request your free consultation, simply send an enquiry through Counselling Directory, call 07519 400 714 or use the following link to book into my diary: https://booking.konfidens.uk/clairewcounselling/p/7ad85e7f-2a50-4c29-bc0e-0ad9379fe42b
