Hello, I'm Claire Maskery she/her.
Registered Psychotherapist in Nottingham (NG5) UK working with adults (over the age of 18) in the UK and English speaking peoples accross the globe (time zones permitting!).
Apologies but I do not have any availability at this time. However, I update this page to reflect when I have spaces for new clients. I hope you find what you're looking for.
There can often be a stigma about having mental health issues, but the fact is we all struggle at times. And it’s not always the big things which can throw us off course. When our resources are stretched to capacity the smallest thing can be enough to push us beyond our coping abilities. It can feel difficult to reach out and seek help at these times, feeling stuck, not knowing which way to turn. Sometimes our friends and loved ones are enough to help us through these tough times but other times we may need a different kind of help, support from an independent person. Someone who doesn't judge, someone strong enough to walk with us as we deal with this pain. And this is when having a psychotherapist can help.
Many people are unsure of what to expect when they start therapy - and what will be expected of them. You may find it helpful to know therapy, or counselling, is really just a helpful conversation where you are heard, understood and accepted for who you really are as you work through your issues. There is no right or wrong way to go about it. If we're able to meet in person, I'll offer you a hot or cold drink and a comfortable chair and then... we just start talking. Or we may be that we have a virtual session, in which case you will need to have access to a computer and a quiet, private space, as will I. It is my role to reflect things back to you, to offer strategies for change in a way which helps you achieve the meaningful transformation you are looking for. This is your journey, unique to you, and I believe it is my job to make this as painless as possible for you.
I help people deal with the pain of the past, recent or historic, to live differently in the present. This pain can be connected to recent events or historic abuse and trauma, being a boarding school survivor, being a child of adoption or having lost a parent at a young age. It may be your formative environment was highly conditional (you always had to 'do well' or behave in certain ways), or perhaps your early care-givers hurt you in other ways. Surviving our pasts may lead to being given labels later in life, and I support people who have labels such as Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Additionally, I find that issues around gender and identity are being raised, sometimes as the sole reason for referring and sometimes alongside other reasons for seeking therapy.
I often find my work involves supporting people who survived developmental trauma, whose formative experiences cannot always be put into words because the happened when they were so young. Not having clear memories does not mean what they endured did not have an impact. When an infant does not have their needs met, or has them met in unhealthy ways, the neonate finds alternative ways to survive. Survive, they do - but at a cost. This cost can involve not being able to connect with people, always feeling like one doesn't 'fit' in the world, of wanting connection but not knowing how to get it in healthy ways.
An area I specialise in is helping people who identify as an Adult Baby (AB) or as a Little. The work I do is around helping those with an infant or child configuration make peace with this aspect of themselves, to move away from binge / purge cycles and find a healthier way to manage any negative emotions which impact their quality of life. Of course this is not the case for all ABs; if you identify as an AB and you are in peace with this side of yourself - go you!
Feel free to navigate to other pages for more information. You will find material about me and my credentials on the 'Qualifications and Experience' page and information about what to expect from counselling and therapy on the 'About my Practice' page. Finally, on the 'FAQ' pages you can find some common questions answered, both about me and therapy in general. If you have a question you don't see answered there, feel free to contact me and ask.
Are you looking for psychotherapy in Sherwood? Are you looking for counselling in Derby? Are you looking for a psychotherapist in Nottingham? I provide short or long-term therapy psychotherapy and counselling at my practice in Sherwood, within easy reach of Nottingham city centre and Derby within easy reach of the A1, the M1, Mansfield and Leicester not being too far away. There is free, accessible parking directly outside and my practice is accessible by foot, car or bus (being a short distance from bus and rail stations).
My psychotherapy practice is within easy reach of Nottingham, Leicester, Derby and Mansfield.
relationship between client and therapist