Dr. Claire Asherson Bartram
I am a psychotherapist, counsellor group leader and supervisor, accredited
by AHPP and UKCP registered. I qualified in Gestalt Psychotherapy in 1991
and now work integratively with a Gestalt base. I have a private practice,
based at Hampstead Heath Therapy Practice where I
see individuals and couples. I run a monthly group
and a fortnightly group co-led with Angelika
Wienrich. As a supervisor I work with trainees as well as experienced therapists.
I supervise MA and doctoral students at the New School and teach skills,
Humanistic and Existential theory at the Minster Centre. I have experience
of working in a variety of areas including counselling administration for
Brent MIND, staff team facilitation
and basic Gestalt training and creating workshops on a variety of areas.
I have a Doctorate in Psychotherapy by Professional Studies. The title of
my thesis is 'Narratives of Mothers in Stepfamily Situations, an Exploratory
Investigation'. It can be purchased from Lulu.com.
As a product of the doctorate I have instigated the founding of an organisation
StepIn asap Advancing Stepfamily
Awareness through Psychotherapy. My focus is on the different biological
and non-biological relationships in stepfamilies on the couple's relationship,
how this affects the task of parenting and children's future relationship
choices. I have co-written a short book and published various articles on
stepfamilies. Among my personal interests are musicianship, and meditation.
What can be done with Gestalt psychotherapy
Past events are often lived on in the present through thoughts, feelings
and physical responses. Attending to these can allow us to revisit events
with a different eye, thereby creating new and more satisfactory resolutions
to dilemmas and difficulties. In this way we can broaden our options, free
up our energy, and become more available to ourselves and others.
How I work
I make the assumption that we are each experts on ourselves and given the
right environment are able to make use of our expertise. I invite people
to become aware of their strengths, limitations and personal resources,
and to pay attention to emotional and physical responses, sometimes suggesting
further exploration aimed at heightening awareness.
Among the issues people bring to therapy and counselling
Personal development, loneliness, relationships and family difficulties,
depression, bereavement, stress, trauma, anxiety, eating disorders, living
more easily with past events, difficult decisions.