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Claire Sims, BACP

Experienced mental health professional

Provides online counseling through BetterHelp

At a glance

Claire is an experienced, licensed Mental Health Professional who specializes in affordable online therapy offered through our partner, BetterHelp.

4.5 stars
Clients are very satisfied with Claire. View 4 reviews
Speaks English
Offers Telehealth visits
Licensed in United Kingdom

Recent reviews

Claire has been great and helped me to understand my thoughts and feelings. As well as this, she has given me methods that help me to manage my anxiety.

Reviewed December 2024

Claire is fantastic. She made me feel immediately comfortable and I feel listened-to and understood when I’m in her sessions.

Reviewed November 2024

More about Claire

  • 19 years' experience
  • Female
  • BACP

Hello & welcome to my profile....

I am a fully qualified counsellor and work in the UK. I have 19 years of counselling & professional experience which you can see below. I support clients with a wide range of issues including stress and anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, sexual violence, domestic violence & coping with grief and loss.

I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. I work in a trauma informed way and at your pace. Essentially what is important for you to know is that my work is client led, I am here to work alongside you, to support you - I want you to feel in control and I’ll work with you in a collaborative way that suits you. Taking the first step to sign up for therapy can take courage and I am proud of you for getting started!

I started my counselling training back in 2000 when I realised in my life, I needed a change. Prior to this I had been a hairdresser and stay at home Mum when I began to yearn for something different. I felt unrest in areas of my life, I needed more, though I did not recognise it at the time I wasn’t happy. Unconsciously I had started to listen to ‘myself’ and started embarking on a new career- enrolling myself on a counselling course! At the time, my naïve belief was because I wanted to ‘help people’! 20 years later I can reflect and realise this was the start of my journey to recognising how unhappy I was in my life, the challenges I was facing in my current circumstances, what difficulties I had been in denial of, and what I needed to change. It allowed me to develop ways to take back control of my life and make positive changes.

My training was as a psychodynamic counsellor and that is at the core of how I work, however, over the years I have evolved and developed a more expansive way of working, so I would now describe myself as an integrative counsellor. Really what is important for you to know is that my work is client lead, I’m here to work alongside you, to support you - you are in control and I’ll work with you in a way that suits you.

I started seeing clients in 2005 and since then have worked in a variety of different organisations, services, and settings. Not only as a counsellor but on helplines, as a support worker or a manager.

Here is some of my experience:

• Counsellor at Suffolk Rape Crisis (SRC) Dealing with any form of sexual violence (Rape, attempted Rape, Childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment, image based abuse or ‘Revenge Porn’, coercive control, sexual violence within relationships/marriage, stalking & harassment, women going through the CJS from report to court)

• Counselling Coordinator and Services manager at SRC

• Set up an Outreach Service at SRC

• Launched Video counselling service at SRC

• Trained counsellors to work Online and on the Telephone

• Bereavement counsellor at St Elizabeth Hospice’s emotional wellbeing service. Also supporting patients and families.

• I worked with Clarity Wellbeing Services facilitating groups and providing Counselling to new mums and those with Post Natal depression

• Support worker with a service that supports people who have traits of or a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD- or EUPD Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder)

• Trainer for KUF (Knowledge & Understanding Framework) Personality Disorder Awareness Training

• Counselling coordinator for the Suffolk Mind counselling service

• Set up and worked on Suffolk mind’s emotional support helpline

• I launched a dementia counselling service (supporting those with dementia and their families and carers) and a telephone counselling service.

• IAPT Counsellor (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies)

• Counsellor at First Stop (Braintree); Halstead Mind; Progress Counselling Essex

• Facilitating ‘Food & Mood’ and ‘Anger Management’ groups

• Helpline Supervisor and coordinator for Maldon (Essex) Mind (NIGHT Helpline)

• Service Coordinator for a telephone service supporting elderly people in North Essex to reduce loneliness.

So, when people ask, ‘what sort of issues do you deal with?’ or ‘what sort of client do you see?’ I say I see anyone- I see clients- I see you as an individual. I ‘deal’ with anything! The realty is you may go to see a counsellor with a specific ‘problem’ or ‘issue’ and choose the counsellor based on this. Invariably though, there are many different threads or parts of life that are playing into this one area, or indeed be separate from it. This is, or can be, a very normal part of the counselling process. Until you start counselling you may not even know what you need to explore!

What I say is, just get started, find a counsellor, or start that journey with me and if by the time you come to the end of our counselling together and there is a specific problem or issue we feel we still haven’t resolved, we can work out the next steps for you.

PLEASE NOTE: I currently have limited evening availability, so if you are looking for regular evening appointments it may be better to seek support from a therapist who has more availability... Thank You.

Specialties

Stress Anxiety Relationship issues Trauma and abuse Grief Self esteem Abandonment Attachment issues Communication problems Divorce and separation Domestic violence Forgiveness Guilt and shame Hospice and end-of-life counseling Mood disorders Narcissism Panic disorder and panic attacks Personality disorders Self-harm Self-love Sexual assault and abuse Social anxiety and phobia Women's issues

Treatment Approaches

  • Psychodynamic Therapy

Licenses

  • BACP · United Kingdom · 22198 · Expires October 2025

About online counseling

Affordable.
Pay a low flat fee.
Convenient.
Do it at your own time and at your own pace. Communicate whenever you feel it's needed.
Available now.
There is no waiting list and no calls to make. Simply fill out a short questionnaire and send your first message.

Online counseling, sometimes called teletherapy, refers to talk therapy delivered remotely through digital platforms, such as video calls, phone calls, or chat. It can be a great option for people who face barriers to traditional face-to-face therapy, such as those living in remote areas, individuals with mobility issues, or people with busy schedules that make it difficult to attend in-person sessions.

Teletherapy also offers greater convenience and flexibility, allowing clients to access care from the comfort of their homes. Research shows that the treatment outcomes with online counseling are often just as effective as with traditional therapy, providing a viable alternative for individuals seeking mental health support.

Reviews for Claire Sims

All reviews have been submitted by clients after seeing the provider.

Overall rating:

4.5

4 reviews

5
4
3
2
1

Clients mention: Understand Anxiety Comfortable Fantastic Great Helped Helpful Listens Supportive

Claire has been great and helped me to understand my thoughts and feelings. As well as this, she has given me methods that help me to manage my anxiety.

Reviewed December 2024

Claire is fantastic. She made me feel immediately comfortable and I feel listened-to and understood when I’m in her sessions.

Reviewed November 2024

Really helpful and supportive

Reviewed November 2024

When I signed up, I was worried I would be assigned to a therapist who didn't necessarily understand where I was coming from. Claire couldn't be further from that. She asks questions, listens, and I feel she genuinely cares about me and my sircumstances. I feel like a weight has been lifted off of me after each session. Thankyou x

Reviewed August 2024

How was your experience with Claire?

Frequently asked questions

Does Claire Sims offer telehealth visits?

Yes. Claire Sims works with clients by exchanging messages, chatting live, speaking over the phone, or video conferencing based on what works for the client at that particular time.

What language(s) does Claire Sims speak?

Claire Sims speaks English.

How many years of experience does Claire Sims have?

Claire Sims has 19 years of experience.

Where is Claire Sims licensed to practice?

Claire Sims is licensed to practice in the United Kingdom.

Does Claire Sims accept clients outside of the United Kingdom?

No, Claire Sims does not accept clients outside of the United Kingdom.

Is online therapy as effective as in-person therapy?

Numerous studies support the effectiveness of online platforms in facilitating life changes. For instance, research published by JMIR Publications, conducted by teams from the University of Berkeley, UCSF, and SF General Hospital, found that "users of BetterHelp experienced significantly reduced depression symptom severity after engaging with the platform."

What treatment approaches does Claire Sims offer?

Claire Sims offers clients Psychodynamic Therapy.

How can I communicate with Claire Sims?

Claire Sims can be engaged in any one of four ways: (1) Exchanging messages, (2) chatting live, (3) speaking over the phone, or (4) video conferencing. You can use different ways at different times as you wish, based on your needs, availability, and convenience.

How do I get started with Claire Sims?

Just tap the CHAT NOW button or tap here: A new window will open and you'll be directed to a simple form that will help start the conversation. Please note: It can take up to a few days to be matched to a therapist.

Mental health conditions are real, common, and treatable.

And recovery is possible.

Messaging
Live Chat
Phone
Video

When you tap CHAT NOW a new window will open and you'll be directed to a simple form that will help start the conversation. Please note: It can take up to a few days to be matched to a therapist.