My Background
Hello, I'm Claire, a Consultant Clinical Psychologist, registered with the Health Care and Professions Council (HCPC).
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I have been working in the NHS in the field of mental health for 25 years as a fully qualified Clinical Psychologist and I have extensive experience working with people with complex mental health difficulties.
In my role in a Community Mental Health Team, I am a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Quadrant Lead and I hold managerial, supervisory and strategic responsibilities.
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After obtaining a 1st Class Degree at the University of Oxford, I completed a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the Institute of Psychiatry (Kings College London).
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My Approach
I believe that we all struggle with difficult thoughts and feelings at times, and this can get in the way of us doing the things that we really care about.
Learning to understand your mind, and some of the patterns that you get into, is one of the best things that you can do to improve your mental health and wellbeing. Our minds can be really tricky at times, especially when life has thrown some difficult experiences at us.
Sometimes we need a little extra help to process the events from the past, which keep showing up in the form of beliefs that are rooted in our past experiences, or we may be re-experiencing the past with memories, flashbacks or nightmares.
We can really benefit from learning how our mind responds in different situations, and through this awareness, our thoughts and feelings can loosen their hold on us, allowing us to make better choices.
Who I am
I live in St Albans, Hertfordshire with my family and two dogs. In my spare time I can be found running around a tennis court, or walking and training my dogs, or just cuddling them on the sofa with a good book.
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I believe that our minds are our most precious resource, and that through learning to understand our minds, and how they affect us, we can all lead much more fulfilling lives.
To me, the most important ingredient in therapy, is the relationship that you build with your therapist. If you can feel safe, contained and understood in that relationship, it is a spring board for you to grow and change.
I put warm compassionate understanding at the heart of what I do, so that you can begin to understand yourself better and what keeps you stuck.
I also believe that therapy should help you break out of these patterns and make real life changes. Successful therapy means you will feel more empowered to do the things that you really care about.