Claire Sims, BACP

Claire Sims is a counsellor working in the United Kingdom with 20 years of professional experience. She practices as a BACP-registered counsellor and offers approachable, client-led support for people facing stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse, grief, low self-esteem and other challenges. Claire aims to work alongside clients at a pace that feels right for them.

She trained initially in psychodynamic counselling and now describes her work as integrative, drawing on a range of experience to meet each person’s needs. In sessions she focuses on listening, helping people make sense of difficult feelings, and supporting practical steps to feel more in control. Her style is calm and respectful, with an emphasis on collaboration rather than prescriptions.

Claire has worked across helplines, hospice bereavement services and specialist sexual violence support, and has experience setting up telephone and video counselling services. That background informs how she supports people coping with trauma, domestic violence, loss, and complex relationship issues. She also runs group work on topics such as mood and anger management.

People come to Claire for many issues including addiction, sleep and eating problems, parenting strain, career stress, bipolar and depression, and questions about intimacy and attachment. She also lists focused areas such as abandonment, communication problems, blended family issues and end-of-life counselling.

Her approach is to tailor sessions to the person in front of her, helping them explore patterns, make decisions and try new ways of coping. Taking the first step often feels hard, and Claire aims to make that step easier by working with each person’s goals and preferences.

Psychodynamic roots and working online

Claire’s core training is in psychodynamic therapy, which looks at how past experiences and relationship patterns shape present feelings. This approach can help people understand why certain situations trigger strong reactions and how long‑standing patterns may be changed.

She describes her practice as integrative, so psychodynamic ideas are blended with other helpful ways of working. That lets sessions shift between talking about early experiences, noticing current patterns, and focusing on practical coping where needed. Together, client and counsellor decide which direction feels most useful.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Claire will discuss goals, preferences and practical needs, and she will help you choose an approach that fits. The process is collaborative and paced to what you want to address.

Session formats are not specified in the profile, so please confirm the available options before booking. Online counselling can make it easier to fit therapy into everyday life, for example by avoiding travel and by allowing sessions during a lunch break or after work. It can also permit shorter check-ins when time or energy is limited. Ask about current arrangements when you book so you know what to expect.