Claire’s Story and Commitment
A Journey of Understanding and Affirmation
As a transgender woman, I understand how complex, beautiful, and challenging gender journeys can be. My lived experience has shaped the counsellor I am today.
A little about me
I’m Claire — a Level 6, trauma‑informed counsellor and transgender woman specialising in gender identity, transgender wellbeing, bereavement, and the emotional impact of minority stress. My work is shaped by two journeys that have unfolded alongside each other: my own gender journey, and my path into counselling.
My Gender Journey
Moving through the world as a transgender woman has given me a deep, lived understanding of how complex, beautiful, and challenging gender can be. I know what it means to question, to hope, to fear, to grieve, and to grow. I know the quiet moments of uncertainty, the courage it takes to be visible, and the emotional weight that can come with navigating systems, relationships, and expectations.
These experiences don’t define my practice, but they inform the empathy, steadiness, and clarity I bring to the work. They help me understand the nuances of dysphoria, the exhaustion of minority stress, the relief of being affirmed, and the importance of having a space where you don’t have to explain yourself.
My Counselling Journey
My professional path began with a desire to create the kind of space I once needed myself, a space that is safe, warm, non‑judgemental, and free from gatekeeping. I trained to Level 6 in counselling, grounding myself in trauma‑informed, anti‑oppressive, and LGBTQ+ affirmative practice. Along the way, I developed a particular interest in minority stress and the impact it has on us, especially in the context of transgender youth and those who support them.
I’ve worked with adults, young people, families, and professionals, and I’ve volunteered in community settings where lived experience and compassion are central. These roles have strengthened my belief in relational, collaborative counselling, work that honours autonomy, dignity, and self‑determination.
How These Journeys Meet
My lived experience shapes my empathy, but my practice is guided by professional training and ethical boundaries. I don’t centre my story in the therapy room; instead, I use what I’ve learned to create a space where your story can unfold safely.
Clients often tell me they feel understood without having to educate me, and that they appreciate the combination of lived insight and grounded, structured therapeutic support. My aim is always to meet you where you are, work at your pace, and hold space for whatever you need — exploration, clarity, stability, or simply a moment to breathe.
My Approach
My counselling style is gentle, collaborative, and deeply respectful of each person’s autonomy. I work from a trauma‑informed, LGBTQ+ affirmative, and anti‑oppressive perspective, recognising the wider systems that shape our wellbeing.
Clients often describe me as:
- warm and steady
- validating without being intrusive
- grounded and practical
- non‑judgemental and non‑pathologising
- spacious enough for exploration, structured enough for safety
I believe therapy should be a place where you don’t have to justify your identity, defend your experiences, or minimise your feelings. You deserve a space where you can simply be.
What I bring to our work together
- Professional training at Level 6, with a strong grounding in trauma‑informed practice
- Lived experience that enhances empathy without centring me in your story
- Specialist knowledge of minority stress and vicarious minority stress
- Experience supporting transgender youth, adults, and families
- A commitment to ethical, boundaried, client‑led practice
I understand the emotional landscapes that can come with transition, dysphoria, social pressure, family dynamics, and navigating healthcare systems. I also understand the quieter, less visible experiences, the exhaustion, the vigilance, the hope, the grief, the joy, and the complexity of simply trying to live authentically.
Why I do this work
Supporting transgender people and those exploring their identity is not just my profession, it’s a deeply meaningful and personal part of my life. I know how transformative it can be to have a space where you are believed, respected, and understood. My goal is to offer that space to others, with care, clarity, and compassion.
If you choose to work with me
You can expect:
- a safe, affirming therapeutic relationship
- a pace that suits you
- no gatekeeping
- no assumptions
- no pressure to fit any narrative
Just space, held with warmth, respect, and professional care, for you to explore who you are and what you need.
Experience
BA (Hons) in Counselling
2026
2021 - Present
Co founder and wellbeing manager of the Squirrel Friends - A Transgender Network
2024
FdA in Counselling
2024 - Present
Cruse Bereavement Support Volunteer - traumatic and sudden loss
2023 - 2026
VC Gallery Counsellor