My Approach

I am a Gestalt psychotherapist, supervisor and clinical trainer whose work is informed by phenomenological philosophy and the New York Institute for Gestalt Therapy (NYIGT), bringing a curious and collaborative focus to people's experience, relationships and sense of meaning, to support reflective practice in therapy and supervision.

I focus on present-moment awareness, relationship, and how growth emerges through experience, reflection and dialogue. In therapy and supervision, I draw on Developmental Somatic Psychotherapy, incorporating embodied awareness within emotional and relational exploration.

I am particularly interested in supervision as a creative and relational learning process. Drawing on gestalt theory, phenomenology and somatic psychotherapy, I support therapists to deepen awareness of themselves, their clients and the wider field in which they work. I offer individual and group supervision that fosters reflective practice, ethical awareness, professional development and confidence in clinical decision-making.

My approach is collaborative, reflective and grounded in curiosity, dialogue and authentic relationship.

I provide an inclusive, GSRD-affirmative practice working alongside LGBTQIA+, queer, trans, non-binary and AuDHD communities.

About Me

Claire Spiller (she/her)
UKCP, GPsyC. and EAGT registered and accredited Gestalt psychotherapist at Level 7
CLINICAL SUPERVISION | TRAINING | CONSULTANCY | IN-PERSON & ONLINE

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SAFEGUARDING AND PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS:

I am a qualified Gestalt psychotherapist with over 10 years' post-qualification experience, having qualified in 2014.
I hold a Level 7 qualification in Gestalt Psychotherapy and am accredited with UKCP, GPsyC and EAGT.
My training is recognised under Category 'C' of the SCoPEd Framework, reflecting advanced standards of training, competence and professional practice.
I hold an Enhanced DBS certificate and am registered with the DBS Update Service.
I engage in regular clinical supervision in accordance with professional and ethical standards.
I am committed to ongoing professional development and reflective practice.


I am a Gestalt psychotherapist, supervisor, safeguarding training professional, clinical trainer and doctoral researcher. I offer group and individual clinical supervision, psychotherapy and training both in-person and online.

I am a Professional Member of ACTO and have specialist training in online therapy and supervision, with particular attention to confidentiality, UK-GDPR and data security.

I qualified from the Metanoia Institute (MSc and Clinical Diploma in Gestalt Psychotherapy, Certificate in Clinical Supervision). I also completed postgraduate training in Developmental Somatic Psychotherapy with Ruella Frank (Center for Somatic Studies) which continues to inform how I work with a kinaesthetic approach to human experience.

I offer clinical supervision and gestalt psychotherapy grounded in relationship, awareness, and ethical practice. My work supports you to reflect deeply on your experience—whether as a practitioner or within your personal process—while staying connected to what matters in the present moment. I am on the approved clinical supervision registers for UKCP, Metanoia Institute, WPI and USW.

Becoming a gestalt therapist is not only about learning theory; it is about discovering how you meet others, how contacting unfolds as a living process, and how you remain present within complexity. I offer group and individual clinical supervision as a relational space where your practice can come alive—explored through dialogue, grounded in experience, and shaped by what is happening in the moment: in you, between us, and within the wider field. Together, we attend to how this informs and supports your clinical work.

I actively participate in the international Gestalt community, my work currently includes the following:

• Secretary of the New York Institute for Gestalt Therapy (NYIGT)
• Co-Convenor of the NYIGT 75th Anniversary Conference (2027)
• A facilitator of international groups focused on writing and gestalt research

I am a Gestalt psychotherapist, supervisor and clinical trainer whose work is informed by phenomenological philosophy and the New York Institute for Gestalt Therapy (NYIGT), bringing a curious and collaborative focus to people's experience, relationships and sense of meaning, to support reflective practice in therapy and supervision.

Before becoming a psychotherapist, I worked in medical social work and the third sector, including with refugee, asylum-seeking, and homeless communities. This background continues to shape my understanding of context, inequality, and lived experience. My work is grounded in an inclusive and respectful framework, with people from diverse and global majority communities.

My teaching and professional work is grounded in a GSRD-affirming and inclusive approach, working alongside Queer, Trans, LGBTQIA+, Genderqueer, Genderfluid, non binary and AuDHD communities.

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PRACTICE INFORMATION:

Location: Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan
Format: In-person and online (Zoom/Teams)
Availability: My practice is currently full for Autumn 2026, and I am not offering any new spaces. Any updates to availability will be posted here.

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CONSULTANCY AND TEACHING:

Alongside my clinical work, I am actively engaged in teaching and doctoral research.

I deliver clinical training and consultancy support to:

• Psychotherapists, psychotherapeutic counsellors and counselling practitioners
• Multi-agency health, social care and education professionals

I also provide consultancy services to organizations and

• Clinical training and academic support to individuals and groups

I am currently on the faculty for the Certificate in Working with the Complexities of Trauma, a programme accredited by the National Council of Integrative Psychotherapists and awarded Therapy Training Provider of the Year 2026: https://therapyandcounselling.co.uk/awards and best UK professional therapy training service 2023 offering international online training: https://www.ghp-news.com/winners/therapy-and-counselling-2/

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ACCREDITATIONS:

• UKCP Registered & Accredited Gestalt Psychotherapist
• UKCP Registered Clinical Supervisor
• EAGT Accredited Gestalt Psychotherapist
• Accredited Psychotherapist (GPsyC.)

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QUALIFICATIONS:

• BA (Hons) Communication Studies [incl. TEFL]
• Certificate of Higher Education in Counselling
• Advanced Certificate in Counselling
• Cognitive Behavioural Diploma in Counselling
• BACP Certificate of Proficiency (prior to moving to UKCP)
• Clinical Diploma in Gestalt Psychotherapy (Metanoia Institute, 2014)
• MSc in Gestalt Psychotherapy (Metanoia Institute, Level 7: Middlesex Uni Transcript: Jul. 2014)
• UKCP Registered and Accredited Gestalt Psychotherapist
• Preparing to Teach in Post Compulsory Education and Training (Cardiff Met Uni, 2018)
• Certificate in Teaching and Learning (Cardiff Metropolitan University, 2018)
• Certified Cyber Therapist (Online Therapy Institute, 2021)
• European Certificate of Psychotherapy (European Association for Psychotherapy, 2021)
• Certificate in Clinical Supervision (Metanoia Institute, 2021)
• European Certificate of Gestalt Psychotherapy (EAGT, 2023)
• Developmental Somatic Psychotherapy (Center for Somatic Studies, NYC, 2023)

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REMOTE THERAPY & CLINICAL SUPERVISION:

I am a Professional Member of ACTO (Association for Counselling & Therapy Online) and completed specialist training in online psychotherapy with the Online Therapy Institute. I began offering remote therapy several years before the pandemic and have extensive experience in working safely and effectively in the online space, including teaching psychotherapy students about remote clinical working.

I am committed to maintaining the highest standards of online safety, confidentiality, and data security, and I hold a strong interest in how remote practice can widen access to therapy, supervision and training. Online work enables connection across locations and contributes to a more sustainable, environmentally conscious way of working.

BENEFITS OF REMOTE THERAPY & SUPERVISION:

Working remotely can offer flexibility and accessibility, including:

• Attending sessions from the comfort and privacy of your own space
• Greater accessibility if you have caring or childcare responsibilities
• Continuity if you are travelling or temporarily away
• Support during recovery from illness, injury, or reduced mobility
• Access to therapy if travel is difficult for medical or practical reasons

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WHAT YOU NEED FOR ONLINE SESSIONS:

To support a safe and effective online experience:

• A stable internet connection and a device with a webcam (ideally a laptop or computer)
• Access to Zoom/Teams and basic familiarity with its use
• A private, confidential space free from interruption
• Audio/video checked in advance
• Mobile devices and notifications switched off or silenced
• Any AI listening devices turned off
• A contingency plan agreed in case of technical disruption
• Optional: a headset for added privacy

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ACCESSING YOUR SESSION:

• You will receive a unique, password-protected link for each session
• The link is sent securely via encrypted email
• On joining, you will enter a private virtual waiting room
• At your appointment time, you will be admitted into our secure online space

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TELEPHONE THERAPY:

If online access is not suitable, I offer telephone therapy. I have many years’ experience working clinically in this way.

• I initiate the call, so you will not incur charges
• You will need a private, confidential environment free from distraction
• All devices should be silenced or switched off to support focus

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CONFIDENTIALITY & DATA PROTECTION:

I have a comprehensive understanding of UK-GDPR and take the protection of your personal information seriously. Before we begin, we will review:

• My Privacy Notice
• Terms of work, including fees and cancellations
• Our working agreement (in-person, online, or blended)
• How we will work together

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PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

I have extensive professional experience of:

• Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) services
• Crisis work (including homelessness and domestic violence)
• Trauma-informed psychotherapy with adults
• Complex organisational and workplace dynamics (public, private, and third sectors)
• Teaching and supervising professional groups, including qualified and trainee therapists and multidisciplinary teams

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PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS:

• Professional Member – ACTO
• UKCP – Humanistic & Integrative Psychotherapy College
• Accredited Psychotherapist – General Psychotherapy Council (GPsyC)
• UK Association for Gestalt Practitioners (UKAGP)
• European Association for Gestalt Therapy (EAGT)
• International Association for the Advancement of Gestalt Therapy (IAAGT)
• European Association for Psychotherapy
• The Society for Existential Analysis
• The Society for Psychotherapy Research
• Center for Somatic Studies, New York City (Alumnus)
• Metanoia Institute, London
• Current Secretary – New York Institute for Gestalt Therapy (NYIGT)

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Below are some recent conferences, seminars and courses I have attended:

• Aesthetics of Contacting - Institut Français de Formation Psychocorporelle | Center for Somatic Studies | Gestalt Therapy International Studio, Paris, 2026.

• Wales National Safeguarding Training, Learning and Development Framework: Group C - 'Safeguarding Children and Young People for the Designated Safeguarding Lead and Senior Managers', 2026.

• Phenomenology - Pure and Applied, 2025.

• Working Alongside Trans, Non-Binary and Questioning Clients, 2025

• Welsh Government National Training Framework -
Understanding Honour Based Violence; Level 4, 2024

• Dan Zahavi: Center for Subjectivity Research, Copenhagen: The Unity and Plurality of Emotional Sharing: collective intentionality, plurality, and difference, Cardiff University, 2024

• Beyond Trauma - Has Clinical Practice been Reduced to Psycho-traumatology? - IPsiG and ISIPSÉ, 2023

• Artificial Intelligence International Summit, 2023

• Paul Goodman: The Revolutionary Imagination, Poetry, and Gestalt Therapy, 2023

• Phenomenology and Gestalt Psychotherapy, 2020 - 2025.

• Working with clay in online Gestalt therapy, 2023

• Online virtual therapy: its possibilities and limits, 2023

• 5th International Conference on Research in Gestalt Therapy: Hamburg:
Gestalt for Future - Creating a Network for Research {online} 2022

• Open Gestalt 24 hour Revolution Virtual Popup Conference:
Asociación Mexicana de Psicoterapia Gestalt Contemporánea, 2022

• International Association for the Advancement of Gestalt Therapy 2022:
IAAGT Ireland Conference: Edges of Exile & Belonging:

• Gestalt Therapy for Working with Alzheimer's & Other Irreversible Dementias
• A Gestalt Therapist Considers Autism
• How Core Beliefs Impact Feelings and Experiences of Exile and Belonging
• Gestalt Process Group Facilitation and Training

Gestalt 2021: XXI International Gestalt Conference: Kiev Gestalt University {online}

• Kinaesthetic Resonance (2021)
• Phenomenological, Aesthetic & Field Approach (2021)
• The Border of Contact (2021)
• The Art of Self (2021)

International Interdisciplinary Congress of Gestalt Psychotherapy (2021) – Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina {online}

• Concepts in Supervision
• The Heart of Psychotherapeutic Change: Developing Presence
• Intimacy and Tenderness
• To Hold the Hand That Holds Our Hands: Responsive Contacting
• In And Out of Love

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• Gestalt Group Psychotherapy (2022)
• Phenomenology and Gestalt Psychotherapy: II: (2022)
• Art in Gestalt Psychotherapy (2022)
• Effective Teaching and Online Learning, Planning Learning and Teaching, Learning Theories, Techniques for Learning, Assessment for Learning, Evaluating Teaching Impact (2022)
• Artificial Intelligence (2021)
• Online Training Techniques (2021)
• Relational Interventions for New Psychopathologies in a Post-Pandemic World -
Istituto di Gestalt Human Communication Center, Italy {online}
• Do we still favour those who are neurotypical? (2021)
• Perspectives from Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (2021)
• Resilience, Dissociation & the body: Restoring a sense of self after trauma (2021)
• Psychology of Video Games (2021)
• Data Protection & Privacy Online Certificate (2021)
• Embodied Intersubjectivities - The Body in the era of online therapy (2020)
• Certificate in Online and Telephone Counselling (2020) (ACTO /
Association for Counselling and Therapy Online recognised training)
• Moving Your Practice Online – Online Therapy Institute (2020)
• UKCP Remote Working (2020)
• GDPR Essentials (2020)
• Cybersecurity and Data Protection for Therapists (2020)
• Exploring the Future of Therapy & the Mental Health Profession in a Post-Pandemic World
• Covid-19: Psychological Impact, Wellbeing and Mental Health – NHS (2020)
• Contact in a Virtual World (2020)
• Enhanced Understanding of Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence for Organisational Leaders (2020)
• Welsh Government National Training Framework -
Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (Wales) Act 2015 /
Level 3: (Train the Trainer; 2020); Level 2: Ask & Act; (2019); Level 1: (2017)
• Essential Safeguarding Procedures for Adults and Children (2020)
• Counselling Adults on the Autistic Spectrum (2019)
• Trauma-informed teaching – Train the Trainer (2019)
• Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence: The Future of Psychotherapy (2019)
• Dialogue in Gestalt Psychotherapy {Martin Buber - the dialogic turn} (2015 - 2019)
• How Private is your Practice in Cyberspace? (2018)
• The General Data Protection Regulation (2018)
• Philosophy of Technology (2018)

Other Training:

• UKCP Mental Health Familiarisation placement (formerly known as psychiatric placement) - NHS Cwm Taf, Adult Acute Mental Health (2011 | 2012)
• Therapeutic skills for working with refugee families (2004)
• Foundation in integrative psychotherapy (2001)
• Principles of gestalt psychotherapy (2000)

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PUBLICATIONS:

Spiller, C. (2021). A Year of The Pandemic: Existential themes for psychotherapists. Existential Analysis, 32 (2), 250 – 261.

Spiller, C. (2021). Gestaltterapiens bankende hjerte. Årbok 2021, Norsk Gestaltterapeutforening, 122; Norsk Gestaltterapeutforening (ISSN 2703-9315).

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CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS:

• UKCP Conference, Psychotherapy in a Changing World, London, Nov 22-23, 2024
• International Association for the Advancement of Gestalt Therapy [IAAGT]
Biennial Conference, 2024: Veracruz, México, ONLINE PANEL
• Metanoia Research Academy, 2024
• UKCP Annual International Research Conference, 2022
• Society for Existential Analysis Annual Conference, 2021

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EVENT PRESENTATIONS:

• Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA: Working with the Body Online: A Contemporary gestalt therapy approach, 2024

• Developmental Somatic Psychotherapy Alumni - Exploring DSP in Remote Clinical Practice, 2024

• Encountering Artificial Intelligence – Exploring a Phenomenology of Embodied Experience:
New York Institute for Gestalt Therapy: Winter Special Event & follow-up NYIGT Community discussion event, 2024

• European Association Gestalt Therapy [EAGT] Research Webinar, 2022
• International Gestalt Therapy Study Group on Field-Emergent Self ~
A Community Conversation, 2022
• Sexual Violence Awareness {multi-agency}, 2020
• Older People's Commissioner for Wales, 2019
• International Women's Day community event, 2018
• Multi-agency training incl. supervision within the public and third sectors, 2015 - 2017

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OTHER ACTIVITIES:

• I held a governance role for 15 years on the board of a city centre young persons charity.
• I volunteered for 3 years with a charity supporting people with lived experience of HIV and AIDS on a confidential helpline, also through training, advocacy and support.
• I also held a management committee position for a local counselling charity dealing with referrals from primary care mental health support providers, policy and training development.

I work with

• Companies
• Groups
• Individuals

Special Interests

Like all UKCP registered psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors I can work with a wide range of issues, but here are some areas in which I have a special interest or additional experience.

Types of Therapies Offered

• Gestalt Psychotherapist

What I can help with

• Abuse
• Age-related Issues
• Chronic Illness
• Employment Difficulties
• Health-related Issues
• Post-Traumatic Stress
• Race Issues
• Relationships
• Sexual Abuse
• Stress
• Trauma