About Claire McCluskey

I obtained my psychology degree in 1992 from Queens University, Belfast.

I nursed in the area of women's and sexual health for several years, until focussing more exclusively on counselling.

Over the past 10 years I have built up extensive experience in the fields of addictions relationship or marriage counselling and work with young people.

I have worked with young people in the area of sexual health problems particularly sexually transmitted infections and addictions.

I have obtained the Relate Certificate in Couple Counselling 2003 and a Masters Degree in Guidance and Counselling from the University of Ulster at Jordanstown in 1998.

My Approach

My practice is formed from a variety of training and experience informed approaches. I consider myself to be eclectic / integrative in my approach, utilising the continuum from solution focussed to psychodynamic.

Foundational to my practice are the Person Centered conditions:

• empathy
• open / positive
• genuineness

My practice is informed by:

Psychodynamic work

This is based on the idea that past experiences have a bearing on experiences and feelings in the present, and those important relationships, perhaps from early childhood, may be replayed with other people later in life.

Motivational interviewing

Motivational Interviewing is useful for helping to work with ambivalence to make changes and achieve goals. It involves building motivation, strengthening commitment and maximising strengths.

Solution Focussed Counselling

Short term work with short and long term goals to achieve change.

Family / Systemic counselling

Focuses on the networks of significant relationships within which people live their lives, to explore the meaning and interactions they have. The client group tends to be family members.

Cognitive Behavioural

The objective is to change self-defeating or irrational beliefs and behaviours by altering negative ways of thinking aims to remove the obstacles that people place in their own way, and also to achieve a healthy balance between short-term and long-term goals.

I dip in & out of these approaches depending on the needs and preferences of the client.

My Qualifications

Claire has also recently set up a partner counselling service for clients in North Wales and Chester. This new service offers relationship counselling in wales, both for individuals and couples. Wales Counselling also provides counselling supervision, as well as family counselling in wales.