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Clare Payne, BACP

Based in the UK Online sessions

Calm, practical support for parenting and life stress

Book with Clare
Years in practice
4
Registration
BACP
Languages
English
Focus
LGBT
Focus
Self esteem
Focus
Career difficulties
About

About Clare

Clare Payne is a counsellor who aims to make therapy approachable for people feeling overwhelmed by parenting pressures and related life stresses. She offers direct, practical conversation and helps clients clarify what matters most to them. Sessions move at the client's pace and focus on immediate concerns as well as longer-term change.

Clare draws on a humanistic, client-centred way of working that keeps the session grounded in what the person brings that day.

Background and approach

Early meetings concentrate on what led someone to seek support and what they want to get from counselling. This gives both parties a chance to assess whether they feel comfortable together. Beyond a person-centred core, Clare uses a mix of approaches to match different needs.

She may bring in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ideas to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and choose values-based action. Attachment-based ideas can help when relationship patterns feel stuck. Motivational Interviewing techniques support goal-setting and change when motivation feels low.

Clare holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Integrative Counselling and Coaching from the University of East London and is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP. She has four years' experience working with issues such as anxiety, grief, low self-esteem, trauma, relationship and intimacy concerns, and parenting-related stress.

Sessions typically last 45 minutes and follow a short initial phase of assessment and planning. Clare offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging, which can be chosen to fit different schedules and needs.

Focus areas and approaches

What Clare works with

Everything Clare lists, in their own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Clare helps people with.

Approaches Clare lists

Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each counsellor names and does not check training records.

Online support

Therapeutic approaches and online support

Clare commonly uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Attachment-Based Therapy in her work. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice upsetting thoughts without getting swept away, then choose actions that match their values; it can help with anxiety, low mood and parenting stress. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at early relationship patterns and how they show up now, which can be useful for relationship and intimacy issues.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. Clare works collaboratively to see what feels helpful for each person. She will check in about goals and preferences and adapt methods as the work progresses so the plan matches what the client needs and wants.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when seeing body language matters. Phone sessions need less bandwidth and can fit into a short break at work. Live chat and text-based messaging suit shorter check-ins or when writing feels easier than talking. These options make it simpler to fit regular sessions into busy family and work lives, while still allowing focused therapeutic conversation with a registered professional.
Questions

Questions people ask about Clare

What issues does this counsellor help with?

Clare works with a broad set of concerns including parenting stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, trauma and abuse, self-esteem and career worries.

How would sessions feel and what style is used?

Sessions are humanistic and client-centred, focusing on what matters to the person on the day. Clare also draws on approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and attachment-based ideas to suit individual needs.

What is Clare's professional background?

She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Integrative Counselling and Coaching from the University of East London and has four years' experience working with mental health and parenting concerns.

Where is Clare based and how is she registered?

Clare practises in the United Kingdom and is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP.

Which languages are sessions offered in?

Sessions are offered in English only and international clients are not accepted at this time.

What session formats are available?

Clare offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging to provide options that fit different schedules and preferences.

How does payment and cost work?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions are provided via a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.

How do I begin working with Clare?

Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

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7 years in practice

Practical, compassionate therapy for everyday struggles

  • Stress, Anxiety
  • LGBT
  • Trauma and abuse
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