Claire Shepherd

Experienced Integrative Therapist and Tutor of Integrative Advanced Counselling Diploma

I offer a warm, confidential, and non-judgmental space for you to gently explore and unravel your thoughts and feelings. Acknowledging from the start that what you are doing in our sessions together is brave, and difficult, and often very challenging, yet also necessary for you to move forward to be the person you want to be, feel what you want to feel. Together in our therapeutic relationship, we will go at whatever pace and direction works best for you.

Availability not confirmed

Profile

claireshepherd.counselling.online

Phone

07841474398

Email

claireevashepherd@gmail.com

Website

www.claireevashepherd.co.uk

About me and my practice

I feel the phrase 'sage-ing whilst aging' is probably apt, I've made a lot of mistakes yet hopefully learnt for them and survived as a better person for them. I'm very spiritual, a qualified Reiki Master Teacher I used to offer a combination of Reiki and counselling in private practice, alongside running various workshops for student counsellors. Then Covid came along and like many I adapted by moving to online counselling and have never gone back.

I enjoy being in touch with my creative side, I paint (badly), I write (probably also badly), and I enjoy growing plants from seeds (so successfully that I grow far too many to keep all of them) and I love music but can't hold a note or even whilst a tune well. I feel passionately that creativity feeds the soul and nourishes the heart; even my most anti-students end up converted to benefits of creative therapeutic interventions when appropriate.

Because I teach it's imperative that I'm up-to-date on BACP's Ethical Framework and guidance, and that I stay abreast of new therapies and therapeutic interventions wherever possible. I also think teaching helps me to stay client focused, so that the therapy I offer is compassionate and gentle yet also challenges and feels like therapy.

I believe that the time between therapy sessions is when you do the most processing. I'm therefore flexible about when therapy is booked, if you need more time to process - you need more time, and if you need more sessions - you need more sessions. This is your journey and you deserve to do it the way the works best for you.

Experience

I've been counselling since 2003, I've worked as a school counsellor, in youth and community, within the NHS as part of the mental health team, and currently I'm a tutor teaching on the Advanced Diploma Course at Iron Mill College in Exeter.

I qualified as a Person-centered therapist which is still my core way of being as a therapist, however over the years I came to embrace the idea that therapy should fit the client, to work how you the client want/ need to work in therapy, and support you in the way you want support. To ensure this is what I offer I transitioned into Integrative Therapy and have been using it successfully as my model for many years.

Integrative therapy allows you to discuss and choose from many options how you want your therapy sessions to be/ evolve. Talking is always the backbone of a session, yet within that you can explore creative interventions, learnt patterns of behaviour, and how your past impacts you now; should you want to.

We review progress regularly, giving you time to feedback on how you are experiencing our sessions together and whether we need to amend the way we are working together, have goals, or an ending to therapy sessions in site. Its an organic process that works around you, the client.

Professional Membership

Registered member of BACP

Professional Register

British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)

Verified by Counsellingo on Thursday, 10 April 2025

Initial Consultation

First 30 minute session free of charge, via audio or video.

Fees

Online Counselling Hr. £35.00
Other options available.

When I Work

Monday 10am - 8pm
Tuesday 10am - 8pm
Friday 10am - 8pm

Therapeutic Approach

Integrative

Video Platforms

Teams

Pronouns

She/Her

Area

Devon