Claire Austen, NCPS

Claire Austen is a counsellor who focuses on helping carers and other people manage stress, anxiety, grief and relationship difficulties. She works in a warm, non-judgemental way and aims to make the first conversations straightforward. Claire has five years of experience supporting people with depression, chronic low mood and life changes, and she uses practical tools when helpful.

She follows a person-centred approach, which means she listens closely and helps clients discover their own solutions. Claire also uses cognitive behavioural techniques to teach practical strategies for coping with distressing thoughts and feelings. She draws on other approaches too, adapting what she offers to each person’s needs.

Sessions are delivered in English and Claire accepts international clients; please confirm current session options before booking. She holds NCPS as her listed credential and works in the United Kingdom. Claire aims to create space to talk through difficult emotions and to build clearer ways of handling everyday problems.

Her background includes a degree and counselling qualifications, plus a diploma in cognitive behavioural therapy, which she uses for structured skills work. The counsellor describes the process as collaborative and paced to each person’s comfort.

To begin, clients complete a short questionnaire to help match with Claire and then schedule sessions according to availability. Claire encourages carers to bring the practical and emotional strains they face, so these can be talked through and managed step by step.

How her approaches fit with online counselling

Claire uses a person-centred framework that puts the client’s experience at the heart of sessions. This approach emphasises listening, empathy and helping people identify their own next steps, which can work well in a conversational online setting.

She also uses cognitive behavioural therapy, offering practical strategies to manage unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. CBT techniques often translate into clear exercises and short skill-building tasks that people can practise between sessions.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Claire will discuss goals and preferences and then agree a way of working together. That conversation is collaborative and can be adapted as needs change over time.

The biography does not list specific session formats, so please confirm current options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy day, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It also supports working on practical CBT tasks at home and continuing conversations across different time zones for international clients.