Hello, I'm Clare.

​

Thank you for being here.

​

I know that looking for a counsellor can feel daunting. You might have spent time wondering whether therapy is right for you, or perhaps you've reached a point where you know something needs to change. Whatever has brought you here, I'm glad you've found your way to Empowering Horizons.

​

For much of my life, I felt misunderstood.

​

I was often described as loud, outgoing, and confident, but the truth was that I had become very good at hiding the parts of myself that felt uncertain and vulnerable. I spent years feeling as though I experienced the world differently to everyone else without really understanding why.

​

As an adult, I was diagnosed with combined ADHD. Looking back, so many pieces of my life suddenly made sense. It wasn't about having a label; it was about having an explanation. More importantly, it allowed me to meet myself with compassion instead of criticism.

​

That experience changed the way I see people.

​

It reminded me that we never truly know what someone is carrying or how hard they've worked simply to get through the day. It taught me how powerful it is to feel understood rather than judged. That understanding continues to shape the way I work today and is one of the reasons my practice is trauma-informed and neuro-affirming.

​

Before becoming a counsellor, I gained experience working in education, NHS mental health services, and private practice, giving me the privilege of supporting people at different stages of their lives and mental health journeys.

 

I spent time working in a secondary school, supporting young people through some of the biggest transitions in their lives. I worked with students who were experiencing trauma outside of school, felt anxious, overwhelmed, misunderstood, or as though they didn't belong. Many believed that because they struggled at school, they wouldn't achieve the future they hoped for.

​

I never believed that.

​

I wanted them to know that one chapter of their life didn't have to define the rest of their story. Looking back now, I realise I was sharing something that I needed to believe myself too.

​

That belief has stayed with me throughout my career.

​

I hold a Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling from Leeds Beckett University and I'm a registered member of the BACP. I work relationally and integratively, which means I draw from a range of therapeutic approaches to suit the individual sitting in front of me. While those approaches have different names and theories behind them, I don't expect you to know what they mean. What matters to me is getting to know you - your experiences, your relationships, your hopes, and what has brought you to this point in your life.

​

I've also sat where you might be sitting now.

​

I've experienced therapy as a client, and I know how much courage it takes to trust someone with the parts of yourself you've perhaps kept hidden for a long time. I also know how powerful it can be to feel genuinely listened to and accepted without judgement.

​

Those experiences, both personal and professional, have shaped the therapist I am today.

​

I don't believe my role is to fix people because I don't believe people are broken. I believe we all make sense in the context of what we've lived through. Sometimes we just need the space, the relationship, and the time to understand ourselves differently.

​

Whether you're navigating anxiety, trauma, ADHD, relationships, loss, life transitions, or simply feeling that something doesn't feel quite right, my hope is that you'll find a space where you can be yourself without feeling that you have to explain or justify who you are.

​

If you're ready, I'd be honoured to walk alongside you.

​​