Hello, I’m Claire Hinton – an Integrative and BACP registered counsellor. I have over 10 years’ experience working in the community/ voluntary sector with both young people and adults.

I know how heavy life can feel when you’re carrying too much, when you’re holding everything together for everyone else, yet inside you’re running on empty. You may be grieving, feeling lost in a changing season of life, or simply unsure of who you are anymore. Sometimes there aren’t even words for what’s wrong – you just know something has to shift.

That’s where I can help. My role is to offer a calm, compassionate space where you can lay down the mask, breathe, and begin to explore what’s really going on beneath the surface. I bring warmth, humanity, and gentle honesty to my work, and I aim to walk beside you, as you rediscover your sense of self, strength, and direction.

No matter your struggle, therapy with me is about creating a space that feels safe, real, and restorative.

I hold qualifications in the following areas:

• Foundation Degree in Integrative Counselling – Ulster University
• BA (Hons) in Community Youth Work – Ulster University
• Therapeutic Crisis Intervention Certificate – Cornell University
• Connections Link Life Suicide Awareness & Intervention Certificate
• Cruse Bereavement Care: Level 2 Foundation Certificate
• Recognising & Responding to Domestic and Sexual Abuse
• Mental Health First Aid
• Child Protection Training
• Adult Safeguarding Training

As an Integrative Counsellor, I believe therapy should adapt to you, not the other way around. I draw from Person-Centred Therapy, Psychodynamic principles, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to meet your unique needs, combining empathy and insight with practical strategies for change.

Clients often describe me as warm, grounded, and real. I don’t believe in therapy that feels clinical or distant, instead, I focus on building a genuine, trusting relationship where you can feel understood and supported at your own pace. Our sessions might explore where patterns began, how they’re showing up in your present life, and how to move towards what feels more balanced, hopeful, and authentic. It’s not just about understanding why you feel as you do, it’s also about finding the how:
how to cope differently, how to heal, and how to live in a way that feels more like you.

When you’re ready to take the first step, I’d be honoured to walk alongside you.