About Claire
Claire Cotgrove is a BACP-registered counsellor who offers an affirming space for LGBT people and others exploring gender, sexuality or neurodivergence. She specialises in supporting people who have experienced trauma, abusive relationships, shame or guilt. Claire writes plainly and listens with warmth so people feel heard.
Her style is gentle and non-judgemental, aimed at helping clients feel more empowered and at peace. She uses a person-centred approach that keeps the client’s experience at the heart of sessions.
Background and approach
That means sessions focus on what matters to the individual, with the counsellor alongside rather than directing. Claire also draws on trauma-focused work when past harm needs careful attention and repair. Claire has three years of practice and brings life experience alongside her BACP registration.
She offers options such as talking and creative approaches, depending on what helps the person express difficult material. Sessions are aimed at helping people make sense of their history, reduce shame, and build clearer choices for the future. Common concerns she helps people with include relationship issues, intimacy, ADHD, gender dysphoria, domestic abuse and loss.
Claire also supports people with attachment and communication difficulties, chronic illness, and more complex issues like sexual subcultures or blended family strains. Her manner is steady and compassionate. People who choose Claire can expect a focus on their priorities, gentle reflection, and practical steps that fit their life pace.
What Claire works with
Everything Claire lists, in their own terms. LGBT is the reason Claire is listed here; the rest shows what else Claire works with.
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Intimacy-related issues
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Antisocial personality
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Blended family issues
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Emptiness
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counselling
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Paranoia
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Post-traumatic stress
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Approaches Claire lists
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each counsellor names and does not check training records.
How Claire’s approaches work for online sessions
Client-Centred Therapy places the person’s own experience at the centre of the work. The counsellor listens without judgement and follows what the client brings, helping them find their own understanding and next steps. This approach can help with identity, self-esteem and relationship concerns.Trauma-Focused Therapy concentrates on carefully addressing past harm. It involves naming what happened, pacing the work, and developing ways to manage difficult memories and reactions. This can be useful for people recovering from abuse, coercive relationships or other traumatic experiences.
Finding the right approach is part of the therapy process. Claire will collaborate with each client to decide which methods suit their needs, goals and pace. She checks in regularly and adjusts the work if something isn’t helping.
Please confirm the session formats before booking, as specific online or in-person options are not listed here. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, avoid travel time and have shorter check-ins on hectic days. It also allows people to choose a quieter moment at home or during a break if that helps them engage more comfortably.
Questions people ask about Claire
What kinds of concerns does Claire help with?
She works with LGBT concerns, relationship and intimacy issues, trauma and abuse, ADHD and related struggles such as attachment and communication problems.
How would you describe the therapeutic style?
Her work is person-centred, meaning sessions focus on the client’s own priorities with warmth and non-judgemental listening. She also uses trauma-focused approaches when dealing with past harm.
What is Claire’s background?
Claire has three years of clinical experience and brings life experience alongside her counselling work to support clients practically and empathically.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is registered with the BACP and is based in the United Kingdom.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients book sessions?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are sessions arranged and charged?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin therapy?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist’s availability.
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