Claudine Ford

I am warm, caring and committed to working collaboratively with you, my client. I see my role as a counsellor as one of embarking on a journey with you, where we ‘walk together’ discovering the different terrain as the journey unfolds. I am passionate about your journey from embarking on counselling to experiencing meaningful change.

As an integrative counsellor, I use different theoretical approaches, which enables me to meet your individual needs. I believe we all have an innate desire to be the best version of ourselves, to fulfil our potential. I offer a confidential and safe  space where you are not judged and where you can explore, reflect, discover, and develop, hopefully realising some of your potential in different areas of your life.

​​With over 12 years' experience of helping adults in NHS and Low-Cost counselling settings, 5 of them as a Lead Counsellor and over 8 of those years also in Private Practice. I am accredited with BACP and regularly attend additional training courses to help develop and inform my work with my clients.  I am currently a Counselling Tutor teaching Counselling Skills and Counselling Studies courses. This is alongside my private practice, Becoming Whole Counselling. I have also previously worked in a GP surgery and a community counselling service. In all of these roles I have worked with people from various backgrounds  facing a wide range of life challenges and difficulties.

​​​​As I said, I am passionate about helping people on their journey to change, whether as a counsellor working with my clients or as a tutor nuturing students.

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I offer 1:1, individual counselling for adults. This can be in-person or online. As a counsellor, I offer you, my client, a safe and secure space where you are accepted and respected. As my client you can talk openly and freely about the things in life that you are finding challenging, difficult or just can’t quite understand. I will listen and work to understand things from your point of view, offering unbiased reflections, hoping to lead to greater insight for you, and aiming to help you see things more clearly. 

I work integratively in a relational way with my clients. Each client is unique and diverse and so it is important for me to be able to work in a unique and diverse way in order to meet the need of each client. I achieve this by integrating different approaches and methods in counselling, offering a logical and consistent structure. The main approach I use is Person Centred and this is supported by aspects of Psychodynamic, Existential and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). I integrate these approaches to best suit the need of my client, working towards our agreed goals.

I understand it can be difficult to take that first step to begin counselling, but you're taking those initial steps right now. You can take the next step and contact me. To begin with we can have a short conversation to see how we get on and if we'd like to work together. This can then be followed with an initial session where you can tell me more about yourself and what you would like to get out of counselling.  I will also discuss more about how we would work together and answer any questions you have. If we are both happy to work together then we will agree on where and when we will meet.