Claudia Belchior

Claudia Belchior is a trainee counsellor working within The Awareness Centre’s NHS Counselling Service in Lambeth. She is currently developing her clinical experience by supporting clients with a range of emotional and psychological difficulties. Claudia works integratively, drawing on different theoretical perspectives in response to the needs and pace of each client rather than applying a fixed model. Her clinical approach is informed by integrative and relational thinking, incorporating elements of Person-Centred therapy, Gestalt, Transactional Analysis, and Solution-Focused approaches. Where appropriate, she integrates psychoeducation, emotional regulation strategies, and mindfulness-based techniques to support insight, stability, and meaningful change.

Claudia provides a reflective, contained, and non-judgemental therapeutic space where clients are supported to explore emotional difficulties, internal conflicts, and relational patterns with honesty and depth. Her way of working is collaborative and attentive to cultural, linguistic, gender, and contextual differences, recognising how identity, life history, and social environments shape psychological experiences. Claudia places emphasis on meaning-making and awareness, supporting clients to recognise patterns that may have developed as adaptive responses to earlier experiences, while also exploring alternative ways of relating to themselves and others in the present. She works alongside clients to develop greater self-understanding, emotional awareness, and resilience, adapting the therapeutic process to each individual’s circumstances and goals.

Before training as a counsellor, Claudia worked extensively in people-centred and organisational settings, which informs her understanding of workplace dynamics, stress, responsibility, and the psychological impact of sustained pressure. This background contributes to her work with clients experiencing workplace-related difficulties, burnout, and identity conflicts connected to professional roles. Claudia also has experience supporting individuals who have experienced trauma and those affected by addiction, approaching this work with sensitivity, respect, and awareness of the impact adversity can have on emotional regulation, relationships, and self-perception. She offers therapy in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, and her experience of navigating multiple cultures and languages informs her sensitivity to issues of belonging, loss, adaptation, and identity. Claudia is committed to creating a therapeutic relationship where clients feel understood, respected, and supported in exploring their experiences and moving towards positive change.