Clare Mains

You may already know what you want to get out of our time together, or perhaps you want support working that out. Wherever you're starting from, I provide a calm and non-judgemental space for you to explore whatever's on your mind.

I know it can be hard to put certain feelings or experiences into words. My approach is gentle and compassionate, working at a pace that feels right for you to help you untangle your thoughts and feelings.

Counselling can be a space where we explore the parts of ourselves we find more difficult or shameful, develop greater self-acceptance, increase our emotional resilience, or rebuild our sense of hope.

I'll support you through the process to make sense of your experiences, helping you to notice patterns of behaviour, find release for painful feelings, or develop coping skills depending on what feels most useful for you.

I see counselling as a collaborative experience and I work with you to help you connect with your own inner resources, confidence, and self-trust—things you carry with you beyond our sessions.

I work with adults of all ages, genders and identities.

While I work with a wide range of issues, here are some areas I regularly help people with:

• Anxiety

• Childhood trauma

• Depression 

• Identity crisis/Identity exploration

• Loss & Bereavement 

• Perimenopause & Menopause

• Relationship difficulties

I am a fully qualified counsellor with an MA in Counselling and Psychotherapy. I am a registered member of the BACP (British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy) which is an organisation that sets professional standards for training, practice, and ethical conduct. I use their ethical framework to guide the work we do together. You can find out more about this here.

I work integratively and trained in Person-Centred, Gestalt, and Psychodynamic approaches. This enables me to be flexible in how I work with you and your individual needs.

I previously worked as a counsellor for Bristol Mind. I have a background in Bristol's charity sector in service support for mental health organisations that work with people navigating complex trauma. These experiences have brought a deep sensitivity to my work which is guided by compassion, curiosity, care, and collaboration.