Claire Cullum

Claire Cullum

Qualifications and professional membership:-
I am registered with UKCP
B Sc (Hons) Integrative Counselling
Adv Dip (Integrative),
PGCE (Early Years), BA (Hons) MFL
Cert Therapeutic Counselling for Adolescents
Cert Use of Arts and Therapy in Education
OCN Level 5 Counselling Children and Young People

I have particular interest in and experience of working with the following:-
Addiction and substance misuse
Anxiety
Attachment
Attachment and its impact in the classroom
Autism and ASD
Bereavement and grief
Childhood sexual abuse
Depression
Dissociative identity disorders
Domestic violence
Issues with eating and disordered eating
Personality disorders
Relationship difficulties
Self harm
SEN
Suicidal thoughts
Trauma

I am also a provider of therapeutic services to the permanence support team south (Adoption & Fostering Service, Suffolk County Council, part of the Adopt East alliance).

I will encourage you to be curious and talk about what you are struggling with, in order to help you to uncover any underlying causes and to identify unhelpful ways of thinking and being that you may have developed as coping strategies. I will work collaboratively with you to help you get to know yourself better, learn to be kinder to yourself and to develop more healthy strategies for coping with your difficulties.

I draw on a variety of concepts and theories in my work (this is known as an integrative approach) to ensure that the work suits your needs. I am committed to providing a safe therapeutic environment for my clients.  All of your feelings are valid: it may be important for you to hear and internalise this, which can help when exploring the challenges thrown up by life and in finding a way to understand and cope with those challenges and how they affect you.

The counselling process requires a strong relationship between the client and the counsellor and a certain effort on the part of the client – these elements are key in helping address and resolve your issues. I bring myself to the work, offering unconditional positive regard in a non judgemental space, and I draw on whatever tools might be helpful: we may talk, or I may offer you the opportunity to access and explore feelings through the use of creative media such as the sand tray, puppets, images, writing, poetry or music. There is no obligation for you to take this up if you do not feel comfortable doing so. Research has shown that this can encourage and enable accessing feelings when words may not be enough. Please ask me more about this if you are interested.

 

Please call the Phoenix Counselling Practice on 01449 675974 for further information on counselling or to make an appointment.