Claire Austen, NCPS

Claire Austen welcomes people who are feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, depression, grief or life changes. She introduces a calm, patient presence so people can talk through what matters most. Claire is clear and straightforward in sessions and aims to make therapy feel manageable for a worried parent reading on a phone. Claire holds NCPS, which is shown after her name, and she has five years of counselling experience. She trained in person-centred approaches and added a diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, so sessions can include practical tools when helpful. She works with common concerns such as stress, relationship difficulties, parenting strain, addiction issues and low self-esteem. Her approach is rooted in listening first. Claire offers a warm, non-judgemental space where people can name painful feelings and begin to understand patterns. She draws on attachment ideas to look at how past relationships affect current ones and uses CBT techniques for concrete coping skills. Sessions are conversational and paced to suit each person. Sometimes the focus is on talking through feelings, other times on small step-by-step strategies to manage symptoms. Claire also addresses subjects like body image, abandonment, family of origin issues and communication problems when relevant. She supports English-speaking clients in the United Kingdom and accepts international clients. People usually start by completing a short matching form and then schedule sessions that fit their life and commitments.

Approach and online therapy options

Claire combines person-centred and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy approaches in a way that suits each person's needs. Person-centred work focuses on listening and helping people find their own answers by making space to talk about what matters. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy offers practical strategies and small experiments to change unhelpful thinking and behaviour patterns, which can be useful for anxiety, low mood and coping skills.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Claire will talk with the client about goals and preferences and tailor sessions accordingly. This is a collaborative process and methods can change as the person makes progress or needs different support.

Online sessions are offered via video calls, phone, live chat or text-based messaging so therapy can fit around school runs, work breaks or care duties. Phone calls can be shorter check-ins, video calls allow face-to-face conversation, and messaging suits people who prefer writing or want more flexible check-ins. These options make it easier to keep continuity of care across locations and busy schedules.