Claire Mackintosh MBACP

Counsellor

About – Claire

My name is Claire, I am a qualified Cognitive Behavioural Therapist (CBT) and Counsellor.

I work with depression and anxiety disorders such as Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Health Anxiety, Social Anxiety, Panic Disorder, Specific Phobias & PTSD.

I believe it is essential for you to find someone you can work well with in therapy, for this reason I offer a free 15 min initial consultation by telephone to determine what you would like help with, see if I can think I can work with you on that, and for you to decide if you think we are a ‘good fit’.

Therapy descriptions

Being trained in a Psychodynamic modality of counselling means we can explore meanings behind current patterns of behaviours and be curious about how the past may be influencing those day-to-day. The CBT element of my work is very much in the ‘here and now’, meaning you can choose where you would like to focus your therapy.

For some, it may be about how symptoms are impacting day-to-day and you may prefer to focus your work there, for some and exploration of how this originated may be preferred. You are in control of your therapy, and I would be guided by you.

CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) is a highly evidence-based treatment (meaning there have been numerous studies, trials and analysis of these to ensure their effectiveness), used to treat conditions like depression and an array of anxiety disorders, such as GAD (Generalised Anxiety Disorder), OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), Social Phobia, Health Anxiety & Specific Phobias.

In CBT we look at thoughts (cognition’s), behaviours (what we do, based on those thoughts), and the emotions that are produced as a result of these.

CBT looks to understand and break these cycles. Depending upon what you present with determines exactly how we work, however, CBT is a very specific therapy that works on goals set by you.

Counseling, on the other hand, is more exploratory and can be better suited to those facing a lifestyle change, or specific life event.

I have experience working with children as well as adults and work 2 days a week at a local University supporting the needs of student’s mental health. I have a keen interest in supporting survivors of emotionally abusive relationships or those that may be questioning if what they are experiencing is in fact, abuse.

Since the COVID19 pandemic we have seen a rise in ADHD diagnosis and in my own practice I have had an increasing number of clients recognising Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), this is a client group I really enjoy working with and am continually learning, by training and clients shared experiences, about the differences in the way the work, themselves and others are perceived and relish the opportunity to explore this with clients, understanding more clearly what may cause triggers and how these can be managed, addressing a level of self-care that we may not have been aware of if it were not for the ‘break’ many undiagnosed neuro-divergents had over the lockdowns.