Claire has been working with children and families for well over 20 years. Initially she worked as a camp counsellor for five summers at camps in California and at Barretstown. She is proud to say she has worked with the very best children in the world. Claire started off her early career working with homeless teenagers in Dublin’s north inner city and remained in this role for several years.

Concerned by the violence and aggression that these young people were accustomed to she sought to get a better understanding and decided to study Aggression Studies at Trinity College Dublin. This unwittingly led Claire back to a subject she felt very strongly about, bullying. While her studies deepened her knowledge around aggression it also enabled her to follow her true passion, to help those affected by bullying. Having been bullied herself as a child and adolescent, Claire had a burning desire to one day reach as many people as possible to teach them how to deal effectively with bullying.

On finishing her studies, she began volunteering at The Anti-Bullying Centre Trinity College and before long she was visiting schools across the country as The School Workshop Co-ordinator. Claire also had the privilege of helping many families through the helpline in The Anti-Bullying Centre advising them how best to help their child who was involved in bullying.

A firm believer that people can get through anything with good support, Claire returned to college once again, this time to study counselling. When this course was drawing to an end she took the leap to set up Wellbeing Matters. Through her work with clients she has been continually struck by the same question ‘What helps people cope?’. From reading and studying everything she could find on the subject she discovered the importance of resilience. Resilience is now a big part of Claire’s work with counselling clients, schools, parents, teachers, organisations and employees.

Claire has a keen interest in all things mental health and will happily spend the day reading the latest research findings, so she can bring that knowledge to her talks with parents, teachers and employees. Her talks are based on scientific research and her years of experience with children delivered in a down to earth, easy to listen to manner.