- Person Centred
- Gestalt methods
- Sand Tray work
About Claire
Claire Payne is an NCPS registered counsellor with three years of private practice experience. She works from the United Kingdom and supports people dealing with family issues, trauma and abuse, self-esteem, career concerns and compassion fatigue. Claire’s work also addresses guilt and shame alongside related problems such as abandonment and attachment issues.
Claire describes a practical, person-focused way of working. Sessions can be steady or short term depending on what each person needs. She draws on Person Centred ideas, Gestalt and cognitive behavioural approaches. She also uses Sand Tray work when words are hard to find.
Before private practice, Claire spent over 30 years in social care roles. That background informs how she understands trauma, early years impact and the everyday effects of burnout and workplace stress. Her experience includes supporting people affected by domestic and sexual abuse and attachment difficulties.
In sessions Claire works at the client’s pace and adapts methods to the person in front of her. People can expect straightforward conversations, practical exercises from CBT, and experiential Gestalt work when helpful. Sand Tray offers a non-verbal option to express difficult feelings.
She is based in Torbay, Devon and offers face-to-face work locally as well as remote sessions for people elsewhere in the UK. If you are thinking about therapy, Claire asks you to complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule an initial meeting to discuss next steps.
How her approaches translate to remote therapy
Claire draws on three complementary ways of working that translate into remote sessions. Person Centred work focuses on listening and following what the client brings, which can look like reflective conversation and simple check-ins online to build understanding. Gestalt methods encourage noticing present-moment experience and bodily feeling, which can be adapted to guided exercises in a video session or through written reflection between meetings. Cognitive behavioural techniques offer practical tools to examine thoughts and behaviours; these can be delivered as short exercises, worksheets or structured conversations over a remote session.Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the early work. Claire will work with each person to decide which methods fit their needs, goals and preferences. That collaboration shapes whether sessions lean more on conversation, experiential Gestalt tasks or CBT-style practice and homework.
The biography states she offers face-to-face work locally and remote sessions nationwide, so please confirm the exact remote formats before booking. Remote sessions can make it easier to fit therapy around work, childcare or travel. They also allow for shorter check-ins, written exercises between meetings, and options that do not require being on camera for the whole time. Registered or accredited professionals, including therapists, often find these practical arrangements help therapy fit into everyday life.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Experience
3+ years
Listed in
United Kingdom
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of guilt or shame does she help with?
She works with guilt and shame tied to relationships, early life experiences, work and trauma.
How does Claire approach guilt and shame in sessions?
She uses Person Centred listening alongside Gestalt and CBT techniques and can adopt Sand Tray work when words are difficult.
What background does she bring to this work?
Claire has over 30 years of experience in social care and three years in private counselling practice, with a long history supporting traumatised people.
Where is Claire based and what is her registration?
She is based in Torbay, Devon in the United Kingdom and is registered with NCPS.
Can I see her if I live outside the UK?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are available?
The biography mentions face-to-face work locally and remote sessions nationwide; please confirm current session options before booking.
How are fees handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I start with Claire?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.