Claire Trickey

MA MBACP

Sometimes life only makes sense if we understand how we got where we are now....

You may be reading this because life feels overwhelming, stuck, perhaps unsafe. You may be struggling with relationships, recovering from abuse or control, living with the impact of difficult past experiences, feeling that nothing you do is good enough. Perhaps you are beginning to wonder whether ADHD or another neurodivergence explains why you have always felt differentWhatever has brought you here, you don’t have to make sense of it alone. Together we can explore the experiences that have shaped you and begin to understand the ways of coping that no longer help you.My aim is that through counselling you come to understand yourself with greater compassion. That the things you’ve blamed yourself for begin to make sense. That you learn to trust yourself again. And that you leave counselling feeling more able to live as yourself rather than the person you have felt you needed to be.I approach all my clients with acceptance and curiosity about them as individuals. I offer counselling in North Dorset and online, providing a calm, confidential space where we can explore your experiences together, at a pace that feels right for you.Please read on and get in touch.

• Welcome
• Issues I work with
• Working together
• ADHD Adults
• Is it for me?
• Find Me
• Fees
• Contact me

Welcome

Hi, I’m Claire.I came to counselling after a personal trauma made me look at my life and values afresh. With the support of my counsellor I was able to unravel some of the childhood knots that were holding me back and to understand how my ADHD was impacting me.That experience inspired me to train as a counsellor and support others who are struggling with life’s challenges.I believe that our experiences shape us in ways we often don’t fully understand. Many of the people I have worked with have spent years feeling bad about themselves, blaming themselves for patterns that actually make sense when viewed through the lens of trauma, childhood experiences or neurodivergence.You, like me, may be looking for someone kind and empathic to help you unravel your knots. If that’s what you’re looking for, I would like to be that person to you. I will walk alongside you with curiosity, compassion and acceptance as we explore those experiences together.I am a member of BACP and work within its Ethical Framework.I am an integrative counsellor, which means I draw on different therapeutic approaches according to your needs. I have found that we are all individual and one single approach does not work for everyone and every problem.
Whatever approach I use, I believe the most transformative ingredient in counselling is the trusting relationship we build between us.

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The issues I often work with

I don’t believe counselling is about giving advice or telling people what they should do. Instead, I offer a place where we can explore your experiences and feelings, helping you understand yourself better and find your own way forward.I often work with:Childhood experiences
Sometimes the ways we learned to cope as children carry on into our adult lives but are no longer working for us.Trauma
Trauma can shake the way we view the world and make us stuck in it.Coercive control and abuse
It takes a great deal of courage to leave an abusive relationship. The harm is often invisible but so destructive. Recovery starts with building trust in yourself.ADHD and neurodivergence
The majority of people I work with are neurodivergent. Whether you’ve been diagnosed, are waiting for assessment, or are just beginning to wonder about yourself, you are welcome here. I understand.I also support people experiencing:
• Anxiety and overwhelm
• Relationship difficulties
• Serious illness and life-changing diagnoses
• Low self-esteem
• Life transitionsOften people come to counselling because they know they are struggling but they don’t know why. That’s fine too – we can work it out together.

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Working together - what to expect

Beginning counselling can feel like a big step and people understandably worry about what their first session will be like. I will have talked to you a bit about this in our Initial Meeting.Counselling is a conversation, but it’s different from talking to family and friends. It offers a confidential space where you are heard with understanding and warmth rather than judgement.In our first session I will probably need to take some personal details and then we will move on to your background and where you are in life at the moment. There is no need to tell me everything at once – it takes time to feel comfortable talking to someone new. There is also no need to worry about what to say either. We begin wherever feels comfortable to you. You may be surprised how quickly our sessions go once you start talking!Some people worry about becoming emotional, even crying. This is a space where you can feel your emotions without shame.In later sessions I may help you explore different ways of looking at things and we may start to talk about more difficult areas but always at your own pace.

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Counselling for ADHD and neurodivergent adults

Many of the neurodivergent people I work with didn’t originally come to counselling because of ADHD. They came because they felt exhausted, anxious, stuck in relationships or unsure why life seemed harder for them than it seemed to be for other people.
They felt ashamed of not coping and blamed themselves.
Sometimes, as we worked together, ADHD or another form of neurodivergence became part of making sense of themselves, of their story.If you have, or suspect you have, ADHD or Autism, you have probably been struggling in life. You may have spent years feeling:• Different and disconnected
• Disorganised
• Not good enough
• Ashamed
• Overwhelmedand have hidden behind a people-pleasing mask without understanding why. Even after diagnosis very often we are left with little understanding of how it is affecting us and how to cope.Although I have lived experience of ADHD, I know that every person’s experience is unique. My aim isn’t to assume I know how you feel, but to offer a space where you can be understood without judgement, to explore with curiosity and compassion, and to find better ways to embrace who you are.

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Is counselling right for me?

You have got this far. You have searched out counsellors online, but perhaps you are still questioning whether counselling is right for you.Perhaps you’ve been telling yourself you should be able to cope.Perhaps you’ve spent years putting everyone else firstPerhaps you’ve talked yourself out of contacting a counsellor several times before.You do deserve to ask for help – it is not a weakness.You don’t have to make any big decisions today. Sometimes the first step is simply getting in touch to see whether we feel we could work together.

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Find Me

I live in Hazelbury Bryan, a village south of Sturminster Newton and within 30 mins drive of Dorchester, Sherborne, Blandfold Forum and Gillingham.Middle Cottage,
Kingston,
Hazelbury Bryan
Sturminster Newton,
Dorset
DT10 2AR.There is on-road parking available opposite the house and elsewhere nearby. Please park respectfully of others.Phone: 07586 628352
Email: [email protected]
what3words: ///something.guilty.campsites

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Fees

Sessions are 50 minutes once a week. Regular weekly sessions help us keep momentum and allows me to be there to support you if you find the issues difficult to talk about.The number of sessions needed depends solely on each client. This is why I allow for a free consultation, so we can identify if there is a short or long-term issue. However further issues often come out during the course of therapy so we will review progress regularly to ensure we are both happy with the direction we are taking.I charge £50 for each 50 minute session. This is payable by cash or by bank transfer. Payment is due at the end of each session.

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