My name is Claire Whittaker. I am a lived experience, professionally trained recovery coach, working with people affected by chronic pain, trauma, long-term stress, and the coping patterns that can develop when life has been hard for a long time. I bring to this work my own lived experience alongside advanced professional training.

I understand from the inside how trauma, pain, and prolonged stress can shape behaviour, health, and daily life — and how people often rely on habits, substances, or patterns simply to get through. My approach is trauma-informed, non-judgemental, and grounded in nervous system regulation, recognising that meaningful change happens when people feel safe, supported, and ready.

Much of my work supports people who may not see themselves through labels. They may be living with chronic pain or fatigue, anxiety or burnout, emotional overwhelm, or ongoing stress, and using coping behaviours that no longer serve them. Recovery, for me, is not about forcing change, but about understanding what the body and nervous system need in order for change to become possible.

Alongside recovery coaching, I am trained in somatic breathwork and coaching-based goal mapping. These tools support regulation of the nervous system, stress reduction, and rebuilding life after periods of difficulty — whether that difficulty has involved pain, trauma, unhealthy coping patterns, or major life disruption. I offer support both one-to-one and within community settings. I am involved in delivering accessible, community-based support through charitable partnerships, as well as offering private, online support for those seeking more intensive, personalised work. In all settings, I work within clear professional boundaries and alongside existing services where appropriate.

At the heart of everything I do is respect for lived experience — people’s own, and my own. I do not persuade or pressure people into change. I support people to understand themselves more clearly, stabilise emotionally and physically, and move forward at a pace that is ethical, sustainable, and right for them