About Me

An experienced counsellor working with children, young people and adults…

Hello!

People often worry about what other people think and so keep experiences and worries locked up inside them and that’s the real benefit of talking to a counsellor. I’m completely independent and on your side – I really won’t judge you and I’ve been working with children and adults for many years.

If you’re still not sure then I am more than happy to talk on the phone or exchange emails before you decide to book your first appointment.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Helen

My experience

I have been working with children, young people and parents over 20 years as a Primary School Teacher, Community Arts Worker and Forest School leader before training to become a counsellor. Since qualifying I have continued to manage a successful horticultural business alongside my counselling practice which includes:

Working with young people and their parents, counselling for children under 11 delivered in local primary schools

Private Practice areas include: Wells, Street, Glastonbury, Honiton, Bath, Castle Cary, Devon, working with adults and young people

Professional practice

I hold MBACP registration of the The British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists. and hold professional liability insurance. I attend clinical supervision and group supervision sessions to support my work and comply with BACP guidelines. I also hold a valid Enhanced DBS certificate and attend annual safeguarding training.

Session Areas Include:

Wells, Street, Glastonbury, Honiton, Bath, Castle Cary, Devon.

My Training

In addition to graduate and post-graduate qualifications I take part in regular training sessions to make sure I keep up to date with changes in approach and understanding around emotional and mental health. These include specialist training on:

Addiction and dependency
Bereavement Care
Environmental Arts Therapy
Equine Facilitated Learning
Domestic Abuse
Families and recovery
Social and therapeutic horticultural therapy
Safeguarding training
Transactional Analysis
Understanding Trauma and Trauma trapped in the Body

"My daughter started seeing Helen when she was experiencing anxiety at school in Y11, which culminated in self harm. Helen helped her understand what was making her anxious, taught her ways to recognise and manage her anxiety and helped her to believe in herself and value herself. At the end of a relatively short period of therapy (10 sessions) my daughter felt much less anxious, happier overall and more resilient."

Mother 48, Bath

"Meeting Helen was probably the best thing of 2020 that could have ever happened to me! Growing up in an enviroment where "real men" can deal with anything made me very reluctant in asking for any kind of help in general! That was my case ... until ... after 15 years of marriage, at the begining of a global pandemic, I found myself going through a divorce!! This was something inconceivable to me up until then!! I was feeling very uncertain of everything I knew about myself or my life up until that moment . Like with anything in life, acknowledging a problems existence is the first step towards solving it or making some sense of it's meaning. Working with Helen allowed me to do just that. Helen allowed me to create a safe space in which I could talk about my worries, thoughts and thought processes freely without worries of any judgement. She made me feel fully confident that I am in the presence of a trained professional that could give me the help I needed to reground myself in my existence. She helped me gain understanding of how my past experiences in life still influenced the way I currently perceived moments in life. Helen also helped me develop new ways of understanding my emotions and thought processes, enabling me to better manage my present. It is said that with each day lived in our lifes we learn something new , well ... Helen taught me that asking for help does not make you helpless nor broken. It makes you responsible, as it shows that your commitment to yourself enables you to be as happy and well as you can possibly be. I am really gratefull for her help and couldn't recommend her services more highly. Thank you so much Helen!"

29 Young man, Plymouth

"Dear Helen⭐️ I was just thinking about how grateful I am for our time together, I want to thank you so so much for everything you have done. You have been so influential on my path and have helped set me up with the tools I will need for future life. You’re amazing❣️❣️ School is going really well, I left the 6th form boarding school 3 weeks in and moved to my local 6th form college, which was definitely the right choice!! Things with the family and boyfriend are going really well at the moment and I have really found people that understand me and I can have lots of fun with. I hope you’re doing really well and continue to make peoples lives happier :)💗💗🕺💥”

17 young woman, Bath

"I feel my son has a great relationship with Helen. He has opened up to her a lot more than he will to me. When he was struggling with how his medication was making him feel it was Helen he told. Helen asked him if she could tell me which he said yes and I contacted the paediatrician which was really helpful.

My son has been learning about his ADHD, Helen has introduced a workbook which they do together, and it has helped him understand more about his ADHD and how it makes him feel.

I myself have found Helen very nice person. When she has needed to contact me for certain things and she has been so confidential with my son and always asked his permission if she has wanted to tell me anything.

My son has loved Helen’s dressing up box and playing games with her. I feel they have the most amazing relationship and will be sad that he won’t be able to take Helen to at secondary school due to lack of funding.

My son has had the most amazing year 6 and I do feel Helen has had an influence on this."

Parent of Y6 Primary School child, Bath

"I have found Helen really helpful for my son. Before she started working him he was having exclusions a lot. I was being asked to pick him up because of major meltdowns and trying to run away out of school.

I feel now he has learnt coping techniques with Helen; to know to go in a room and calm down; to go outside and kick a ball; one of the tools he likes most is using a weighted blanket that Helen has, he goes and gets under. I even bought one for him at home."

Parent of Y6 Primary School child, Honiton

"Thank you for everything you've done for me. I'm really thankful for the things you have taught me and how you've helped me improve. I can not put into words how grateful I am for your help."

H, girl aged 17, Glastonbury

"I just wanted to say thank you for helping me this past year. When I first started , I was really nervous and not looking forward to our sessions. But now I feel like you are somebody I can talk to and look forward to our sessions. Thank you for all you've helped me with. I really appreciate it."

A, girl aged 14, Honiton

"Thank you so much for helping me this year. You've really allowed me to open up and actually talk about myself, my thoughts and my feelings which was something I had not done before. It's been so beneficial to my life and my relationships. I am much more confident in myself than I was a year ago."

D, non binary aged 19, Dorset

"I would like to thank you Helen for the brilliant job you have done with my son. I strongly believe he would NOT have dealt with his bereavement the way he has had you not been involved. You have been so kind and caring to us both. I feel that from the first contact you put us at ease. He looks forward to your sessions with you, and he has told me you explained things to him in a way...I just don't have the words to do. So thank you so much for helping him to understand and move forward. Without your input my son and I would have struggled so much more to deal with what life has recently thrown at us. Thank you so much."

Parent of Primary School child, Sherbourne

"Thank you for helping me through the tough times, and helping me through the sad times. Thank you for helping to make me happier again and making my memory box."

M, boy aged 10, Glastonbury

"Helen really helped me understand and control my emotions. I didn't get kicked out of school, I don't get angry and life's pretty good now."

J, young woman aged 19, Wells

"It has been hard but I'm getting there and feel proud of every small achievement I make."

J, woman aged 32, London

"I don't define myself by what happened by me any more. Helen helped me think about the future, set goals and I feel much happier in life."

B, man aged 27, Bath

"I'd been anxious all my life and at 40 decided I didn't want to spend the next 40 years in the same state. I've learnt to identify the triggers, get some perspective on them and although I do still get a bit anxious from time to time it's no more than anyone else. And what a difference it's made....

C, mother aged 42, Bath

"Helen has been invaluable in helping my daughter navigate the turbulent waters of teenage years. With Helen’s professionalism, intelligence, kindness and humour, my daughter has learned to believe in herself. Now a more insightful and responsible young adult, she is making her own way, with pride and sound judgement, as well as a spring in her step."

C, mother in Bruton

"Helen has supported me through some difficult times recently with moving colleges, my mental health, my identity and my family. During my time working with Helen we have explored aspects of what are healthy relationships... I have begun to learn how to establish boundaries in my relationships which has helped me increase my self worth. I'm getting on much better with my siblings. I have been able to explore and reflect on my communication style and approach with my wider family to reduce my stress and anxiety. I can see my confidence and self esteem improve and although there is still room for improvement, my anxiety is much less now."

AJ, Non-binary aged 17, Bath

"Helen has helped me learn how to be happier! By talking to her about my Dad's death it helped me to understand my feelings, helped me talk to my mum about it, and my friend who's lost his Dad. She's helped me with my friendships because I can talk about feelings now. I have changed my attitude and can focus more at school and on my work."

MC, boy aged 12, Wells

"Thank you so much for all your help over the last year. I now have a much better understanding of my previous trauma and can separate it from my current self a lot more. Working with you has been a joy Helen. I'm very grateful for all the times you have safeguarded me, contacting relevant professionals with my consent and total involvement, after discussing it with me thoroughly. I feel like I am in a much better place and am enjoying life more. My finance is also extremely grateful for all you have done and in his words "It was the best money he's ever spent."

S, PhD student aged 23, Bath

Get in touch

Please get in touch by email or by phone and I will do my best to get back to you within
36 hours (excluding weekends)

For emergencies call 999 or contact The Samaritans on 116 123

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07804 606734

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