cLAIRE wILLIAMS - cOUNSELLOR
r e g i s t e r e d m b a c p
m y p r o f e s s i o n a l b a c k g r o u n d
As well as working in private practice with adults, young adults and children, I also work in schools in Exeter where I provide 1:1 counselling to pupils. I have previously worked as a counsellor for Journey Therapeutic Counselling Service in Crediton and Young Devon in Exeter.
I also work in primary education with pupils who have Special Education Needs such as Autism, Speech and Language delay and Behavioural issues. I have a current
DBS certificate.
I originally gained a BA(Hons) in Graphic Design and worked as a designer for twelve years before working in education and then becoming a counsellor. As well as travelling widely I have lived and worked in Africa and New Zealand. I also have experience of working in multi cultural education settings in the UK and have lived in a variety of places here, including London, Brighton, Norwich, Swansea and now Exeter.
I am committed to Continued Profession Development and have attended workshops and courses including:
Diploma in Working with Children and Adolescents
Working with Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse
Calming Techniques for Working with Trauma
Eating Disorders
Counselling Skills for Primary School Children
Working with Children and Young Adults
Safeguarding Children
Working with Disabilities
Working with Transgender Clients
Dramatherapy
Attachment Theory
Claire Williams
Studio One
23 Southernhay West
Exeter EX1 1PR
Mob: 07818 293846
Email: cwilliamscounselling@yahoo.co.uk
m y a p p r o a c h t o c o u n s e l l i n g
I am a humanistic counsellor which means I build a respectful, caring and empathetic relationship with every client and, through this, support them as they explore any issues that they wish to. This is also a client centred approach, allowing the person to explore what they want, when they want; therapeutically I follow the client where they want
to go.
My training in an integrative approach to counselling has given me knowledge and experience of working with a
range of counselling models. These include Transactional Analysis, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Gestalt Therapy. This enables me to tailor therapy to best suit each individual person.
Transactional Analysis
Transactional Analysis explores the different areas of someone’s personality and how that person interacts with, and relates to, others. It looks at patterns of feeling, thinking and behaviour and is a model of counselling that helps people to understand how they approach and deal with life. With this understanding they can then choose to make more positive life choices.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, or CBT as it is more commonly called, focuses on the relationship between a person’s cognitions (what they think), how they feel and what they do; what a person thinks will affect their feelings and behaviour. This model of counselling helps a person to explore their thoughts and feelings. By looking at ways to change thought patterns, and with time and practice, this can change feelings and behaviour.
Gestalt Therapy
Gestalt Therapy concentrates on a person’s experiences in the present. The counsellor works with the client to help them recognise how they are relating in the here-and-now and explore other possible ways that they could relate to current aspects of their life. Gestalt also helps a client to become aware of their physical and emotional responses.
Creative Interventions
As well as talking as a way of expressing thoughts, feelings and emotions, each of these approaches to therapy can also use creative interventions, such as writing, sandtray, representational objects, etc. For some people these interventions can feel less daunting than
purely talking for each session. But, because
each session is client lead, it is the client’s
decision as to how they would like to use
their time in looking at the issues that they
wish to explore.
With all of these models of counselling I
sensitively and unconditionally support my clients as they address the difficulties and issues in their lives.
