Claire Crocker
Welcome to my website
I hope you will find the information here useful and helpful
Life can be really tough at times. We can all go through periods when we feel we are constantly struggling to cope, and there are many different reasons why you might want to come to see a psychotherapist.
You might:
- be experiencing anxiety or depression
- have issues in your relationship or with your family
- be feeling stress because of life changes, like bereavement, a health scare or redundancy
- have difficulties with handling anger
- have problems stemming from unhappiness in childhood, or other difficulties in the past
- have experienced trauma from abuse or violence, or being in a difficult relationship.
- be working through issues connected with gender or sexuality or identity generally
- be feeling helpless or overwhelmed in the face of global events and challenges
One or more of these might be familiar to you. On the other hand, you might simply have a sense that there is something wrong in your life, but you’re not sure exactly what it is.
Working with a psychotherapist gives you a regular space in your life where you can talk things through confidentially with someone who will listen to you with care, and, working at a pace that feels right for you, support you in exploring the things in your life that are troubling or challenging you.
You can read more about me here and about my qualifications here.
Please give me a call on 07521 609038 or email me if you have any questions, or to arrange an initial appointment.
Details of where in Bath I normally see clients, and my fees can found here.
I really look forward to hearing from you.
My Approach
Some of my guiding principles are:
Respect
Over the years I have worked with clients facing a wide variety of challenging issues in therapy. I thoroughly respect and admire my clients’ willingness to share their difficult feelings.
Difference
Sometimes we can be aware of differences between ourselves and other people which can make us feel uncomfortable and make communication feel difficult. For me exploring these kinds of differences and how we experience them can be an important part of therapy.
I warmly welcome working with clients of all kinds of different backgrounds, wherever you might see yourself to be on the spectrum of sexuality, gender identity, class, racial or cultural background and heritage, and ability/disability.
Individuality
For me psychotherapy is about supporting each client as an individual, with their own unique circumstances and experience, hopes and fears. It is not about applying a set of categories, diagnoses or abstract principles in a generalised way.
Listening
For me good listening is based upon mutual trust, patience, acceptance, empathy and tolerance. Silence also has a place - sometimes it speaks as loud as words. Our relationship is not a relationship between ‘expert’ and ‘patient’, but between two people working together.
What's the difference between psychotherapy and counselling?
People often ask me this question, and there's no simple answer - both are talking therapies. Generally, counselling tends to be for a shorter length of time, and is often linked to a particular issue you’re facing at the moment.
Psychotherapy tends to be longer-term than counselling, giving us plenty of time to look at challenges and life events that you are facing now, and also explore deeper-seated issues which may have links to your past experiences.
What kind of psychotherapist are you?
There is a great deal written about different styles and theories of psychotherapy, and it can all seem complicated and confusing. My particular background is in what’s called humanistic and integrative psychotherapy, which means that I am able to draw on a variety of approaches, always putting you and your experiences at the heart of our work.
I believe, in the end, that our relationship will be the most significant part of our work together. Because I see this as so important in psychotherapy, I suggest that we have an initial appointment so we can meet to see if we would like to work together. If the answer is yes, we would then meet at a regular time each week, giving you plenty of time and space to explore what matters to you.
My location
I see clients in person in central Bath, and online:
Central Bath
The Practice Rooms, 26 Upper Borough Walls, BA1 1RH - conveniently located in the centre of Bath. The Practice Rooms are within easy reach of Bath Bus and Railway Stations, and main bus routes into town. There are several car parks nearby.
I also see clients on Zoom.
Fees
My standard rate is currently £50 per session. I sometimes have low-cost spaces available - please contact me if you would be interested in these.
About Me
After a degree in literature, I took a Master’s degree specialising in equalities issues. This gave me an appreciation of the great variety and complexity of the challenges different people face.
My Master’s studies naturally led to an early career in organisations dedicated to improving the lives of people at work.
After a career break, I then trained and exhibited as a textile artist.
More recently I have been a family support worker at a centre which works with families and people facing complex problems including domestic abuse and poor mental health. I now work there as a counsellor, alongside my private psychotherapy practice.
My Qualifications
I hold a Diploma in Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy from the Bath Centre for Psychotherapy and Counselling (BCPC), and an MA in Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy from the University of Middlesex.
I hold Full Clinical Psychotherapist Membership of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). My UKCP registration number is 2011164410.
I abide by the ethical practice guidelines of both UKCP and BCPC, and I hold an enhanced DBS certificate.
Get in touch
Please contact me on 07521 609038 or email me if you have any questions, or to arrange an initial appointment. (I will only use your contact details to reply to you, and not for any other purpose.)
Details of where I see clients, and my fees can found here.
I really look forward to hearing from you.
© Claire Crocker
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