Clair Atkinson, BACP

Client-centred care delivered online

Clair works mainly from a client-centred framework. This approach focuses on listening, reflecting and helping people access their own strengths. It is useful for emotional difficulties such as low self-esteem, grief, anxiety and depression because it centres the person’s experience rather than directing them what to do.

Her background as a Registered Nurse often shapes conversations about chronic illness, caregiving stress and physical health concerns. That experience helps when clients bring complex, overlapping issues such as chronic pain, co-morbidity or caregiver fatigue to sessions.

Finding the right approach is a shared process. Clair will discuss goals, preferences and what feels most helpful, and then adapt the way she works to match the person’s needs. She aims to collaborate so the therapy fits the client, not the other way round.

Online work makes this flexible. Video calls let people read facial expressions and body language, while phone sessions can be simpler when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging suit people who prefer typing and want more frequent brief contact. These options help people fit therapy around work, family and everyday life while using a client-centred style that focuses on their story and choices.