Claire McCluskey is a senior registered (accredited) counsellor with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy

About Claire McCluskey Counselling Services

I am a senior registered (accredited) counsellor with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy with over thirteen years of work as a counsellor and over twenty years of being a counsellor in training and in ongoing professional development.

My approach is integrative, based on a comprehensive foundation of training and a broad base of experience.

How I work

I use psychodynamic ideas, systemic theory (family counselling), solution focussed theory, motivational interviewing, attachment theory and utilise cognitive behavioural strategies and skills.

Theory helps provide a map to help make sense of your thinking, feeling and behaviour - past and present.

Overlaying theory onto the stories which evolve in counselling can help clients make sense of why things happen, why patterns repeat, why we behave as we do in particular situations.

When we understand (insight) we can feel freer to notice, observe and most importantly, change our behaviour or situation.

Every client- whether individual, couple, or family will respond differently to theory input and there is no one size fits all with therapy. That therapist will tailor and adjust to accommodate the client need and stage of counselling, for example, "homeworks" can be a useful way to process and evidence change between sessions.

I believe the therapeutic relationship is pivotal to useful counselling so the core conditions (C Rogers) of empathy, openness and genuineness are fundamental to counselling.

My Experience

I have extensive experience over a wide variety of settings spanning twenty years, having worked in NHS , in the Third Sector with several voluntary agencies and have also a managed private counselling practice for several years.

In the NHS settings I have worked:

• in sexual health (Genito Urinary Medicine, Royal Hospital Belfast 2000-2009) as a sexual health adviser helping patients deal with the psychological impact of sexually transmitted infections on themselves and their relationships ( Special interest: Health anxiety related to HIV),
• in Women's Health as a staff nurse ( Gynaecology, Royal Hospital Belfast1995-1998 with a special interest in the effects of Miscarriage loss)
• and Mental Health ( as a Primary Care Counsellor, Gwynedd 2009 onwards)

For the past three years I have been working in the area of adult mental health as a Primary Care Counsellor for a range of mild to moderate mental health issues such as: depression, anxiety, life event adjustments and life cycle issues, dysfunctional grief, coping, stress, relationship issues and the impact of physical health problems.

• With Voluntary Agencies I have worked in Relate N Ireland (1999-2009) and Relate Cymru (2011 onwards) as a couple and relationship counsellor
• and also in further voluntary agencies in N Ireland as an addictions/alcohol counsellor (Northern Ireland Community Addictions Service 1999-2004, special interest: young people and dependency)
• and a young peoples counsellor (Contact Youth, Belfast 1999-2000).

My Qualifications

I have a generic Masters degree in counselling (1998 University of Ulster, Distinction) built on a honours Psychology degree (1992 Queens University of Belfast) and a nursing diploma (1995 Royal Hospital, Belfast).

I obtained a Relate Certificate in Couple and Marital Counselling in 2003 and further developed with a post graduate certificate and post grad diploma in couples and family counselling via Relate (Association of Family Therapy) in 2006-2008.

Private practice (2006 onwards)

As a couples and individual counsellor as well as tutoring and supervision.

I tutored on the Advanced Diploma in Person Centred Counselling with the Queens University of Belfast which is a BACP accredited course.

I supervised students on their Diploma in Counselling at the University of Ulster at Jordanstown.