Claire Phillips , BACP

Claire Phillips is a person-centred counsellor with over 10 years of professional experience and is registered with the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy), the UK professional body for counsellors and psychotherapists. She offers a calm, accepting space where people can explore difficult thoughts and feelings and work through complex emotions at a pace that feels manageable. By attending to those experiences, she supports new perspectives on life and relationships and encourages ongoing self-discovery.

Claire brings a culturally sensitive approach informed by many years living and working abroad and in the UK. She spent over a decade living and working in South East Asia and has over 20 years of experience living and working in South East London. Her clinical background includes work across NHS surgeries, prisons, and drop-in centres, and with children and young adults in care home settings. Many of the cases she has supported involved suicidal ideation, self-harm, and drug and alcohol issues.

She has developed a strong understanding of how trauma can affect people psychologically, cognitively, behaviourally and physically, and of the consequences of untreated trauma. Examples she often sees include substance and alcohol misuse, depression, dissociation, sexual dysfunction, and social withdrawal. Claire aims to facilitate the healing process and to help people discover their existing strengths so they can address challenges and move forward with greater resilience.

Attachment and person-centred approaches for online care

Claire draws on attachment-based and person-centred approaches alongside cognitive behavioural techniques to tailor work to each person. Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on patterns of relating and connection formed in earlier relationships; it helps people understand how attachment experiences influence current relationship difficulties, intimacy-related issues, abandonment concerns and emotional responses. Client-Centred Therapy, also called person-centred work, provides a non-directive, empathetic space where individuals can explore feelings, build self-awareness and develop confidence to face life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) offers practical strategies to identify and shift unhelpful thoughts and behaviours, often supporting work with anxiety, low mood and coping skills.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic journey. Claire works collaboratively with each person and with licensed professionals and therapists more broadly when needed to determine which methods best match a client’s needs, goals and personal preferences. This collaborative process helps shape a personalised plan that feels manageable and relevant.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to engage - video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging - making it easier to fit support around work, family and mobility needs. These options increase accessibility and allow individuals to continue therapy in a way that suits their life while still working with trained therapists and licensed professionals.