Clare Payne, BACP

Clare Payne is a counsellor who focuses on helping people navigate midlife questions and the stress that can come with them. She works in a person-centred way, so sessions follow what feels most important to the client on the day. Clare aims to help people notice patterns that keep them stuck and to make changes that feel right for their lives.

She trained in integrative counselling and coaching, completing a Postgraduate Diploma at the University of East London. Before that she studied person-centred counselling and life coaching. Clare uses this mix of training to be flexible in how she works with different concerns.

In early sessions she concentrates on understanding what has brought someone to counselling and what they hope to get from it. Sessions last 45 minutes and are paced by the client. This time is also used to see whether the working relationship feels helpful for both people.

Clare draws on a range of approaches depending on a client’s needs, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, attachment-based ideas, and motivational interviewing. She combines these with a client-centred stance to support people exploring issues such as anxiety, grief, low self-esteem and relationship difficulties.

Her practical focus often includes helping clients set achievable goals, spot recurring themes, and take small steps towards change. Clare works from the United Kingdom and holds BACP registration, which she lists as her professional credential.

How Clare’s approaches can work online

Clare uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people notice what matters to them and take small steps towards those values, which can be useful when someone feels stuck in midlife. Attachment-based ideas are used to look at repeating relationship patterns and how early connections shape present reactions. Client-centred work means the session is guided by what the person brings that day and at their own pace.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss different options and decide with the client what feels most helpful for their goals and preferences. That collaborative process can be reviewed as therapy continues and needs change.

Confirm the available session options before booking, as the biography does not specify formats. Online work can make it easier to fit counselling around daily commitments, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It also lets people choose a setting that helps them focus, whether that means being off camera, using audio, or scheduling sessions at a convenient time.