Claire Sims, BACP

Claire Sims is a UK-based counsellor with 20 years of professional experience supporting people through stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse, sexual violence, domestic violence, grief and loss, and a broad range of emotional and behavioural challenges. She trained in psychodynamic counselling and now describes her work as integrative - drawing on psychodynamic foundations alongside other approaches developed across two decades of practice to tailor support to each person’s needs. Claire is trauma informed and works at the client’s pace, emphasising respect, sensitivity and compassion while working collaboratively so clients feel in control of their therapy.

Her counselling journey began in 2000 and she started seeing clients in 2005. Since then she has practised in many settings including helplines, support services and management roles. Her experience includes counselling at Suffolk Rape Crisis where she worked with survivors of sexual violence and helped launch an outreach and video counselling service, coordinating and training counsellors for online and telephone work. She has provided bereavement counselling for St Elizabeth Hospice, supported new mothers with postnatal depression, facilitated groups such as Food & Mood and Anger Management, and worked within IAPT services. Claire has also been involved in services for people with traits of or a diagnosis of Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder, dementia counselling services, and telephone support for older adults to reduce loneliness.

She holds BACP accreditation - the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - and combines clinical experience with a client-led, collaborative style to help people make positive, sustainable changes in their lives.

Psychodynamic and Integrative Work in an Online Setting

Claire’s practice is rooted in psychodynamic therapy, which explores patterns in thoughts, feelings and relationships to uncover how past experiences shape present difficulties - this approach can be helpful for long-standing relational issues, attachment concerns and unresolved grief. She also works integratively, drawing on a range of skills learned across settings to tailor interventions to each person’s needs, which can support people managing anxiety, stress, mood changes and life transitions.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process and Claire treats this as a collaborative exploration. She works alongside clients to identify what feels most helpful, adjusting pace and methods to match personal goals, preferences and the issues they bring to therapy.

Online therapy with Claire is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging, providing flexibility for people with busy schedules or limited local options. These formats allow therapists and registered professionals to maintain continuity of care, offer timely support, and make it easier to access therapeutic help from home or work while still working in a professional, client-led way.