Claire Bottomley

Claire Bottomley offers calm, direct support for people feeling overwhelmed by anger, anxiety or big life changes. She writes in plain terms and listens carefully to what matters to each person. Claire aims to help people find ways to manage strong emotions and move forward with clearer choices.

She brings five years of counselling experience and is a BACP member, which reflects her professional registration with the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists. Claire holds a first class honours degree in Therapeutic Counselling and a postgraduate diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy. She also has additional training in trauma-focused methods described in her biography.

Sessions focus on what a person wants to change. Claire works collaboratively to identify patterns that keep problems going. She uses plain language and practical steps so people can try things between sessions and notice the difference.

Her approach combines several well-known methods so therapy is shaped around the person rather than a single technique. That means some weeks may focus on practical skills, and other weeks look at past experience and how it affects present life. Claire aims to balance emotional understanding with tools for coping and day-to-day change.

People come for help with stress, parenting strain, relationship concerns, trauma, addictions, sleep problems and self-esteem, among other issues. If someone needs a frank, supportive counsellor who works in a straightforward way, Claire offers an approachable space to begin doing things differently.

How Claire uses therapy approaches online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice painful thoughts and feelings without letting them dictate behaviour. It focuses on values and small committed actions to create a life that matters to the person. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy looks at the links between thoughts, feelings and actions and teaches practical steps to shift unhelpful patterns and reduce symptoms like anxiety or sleep problems.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist works together with the person to choose which methods suit their goals, needs and preferences. That decision can change over time as different issues come into focus, and the approach is adapted in conversation.

If you are considering online work, check the listing to confirm which session formats are offered before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when life is hectic. It can also make it simpler to keep continuity with a therapist while travelling or living abroad. Registered or accredited professionals aim to make sessions practical, accessible and focused on real changes for day-to-day life.