Counsellor profile
Helen Downs, NCPS
Counsellor for anxiety and addiction
See online counselling options- Stress and anxiety
- Addictions support
- Hypnotherapy
About Helen
Counsellor Helen Downs is a UK practitioner registered with NCPS and has seven years' experience. She works with people who are dealing with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, and issues linked to LGBT matters. She also supports those facing depression, bipolar symptoms, ADHD and relationship or family concerns.
Helen uses a mix of talking therapies and hypnotherapy. She draws on client-centred ways of working to help people describe what matters to them. She also uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy techniques where they fit the goals of the person she is working with.
Her background includes work with people who are neurodiverse and time spent in prison services. That experience informs how she talks with people about mental health, diversity and addiction without assuming their circumstances or strengths.
Sessions are practical and focused on current difficulties and coping strategies. Helen helps people look at patterns, try different ways of responding and plan small changes they can practise between meetings.
She offers support for a wide range of concerns including grief, self-esteem, intimacy-related issues, eating and sleeping problems, and caregiver stress. People from outside the UK can be seen, and sessions are carried out in English.
How her approaches work in online counselling
Client-Centred Therapy focuses on the person’s own priorities. The counsellor listens, reflects and helps the person clarify what they want to change or understand. This approach is useful for talking through relationship issues, low self-esteem and life transitions.Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) looks at links between thoughts, feelings and actions. It uses practical techniques to test and change unhelpful thinking and behaviour. CBT can help with anxiety, depression, sleep problems and some types of addiction.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) offers skills for regulating emotion and managing difficult reactions. It teaches grounding, distress tolerance and communication skills that can be useful for intense emotions and repeated self-destructive patterns.
Deciding which approach to use is part of the first sessions. The counsellor will work with the person to identify goals, try methods that fit those goals and adjust the plan as needed. That collaborative process helps make therapy relevant to daily life.
The original profile does not list specific online formats. Please confirm current session options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit counselling into a busy week, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when a full session is not needed.
Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
7+ years
Listed in
United Kingdom
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, and LGBT related issues. Other areas include depression, bipolar, ADHD, relationship and family concerns.
What is her therapeutic style?
Her approach is mainly client-centred, with practical use of CBT and DBT techniques and hypnotherapy when appropriate. Sessions focus on current problems, patterns and coping strategies.
How much experience does she have?
She has seven years of professional experience and seven years practising hypnotherapy.
Which professional body is she on?
She is registered with NCPS and practices in the United Kingdom.
Which languages are used in sessions?
Sessions are offered in English and international clients are accepted.
What session formats are offered?
The original biography does not list specific session formats. Please confirm the current session options before booking.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I start working with her?
Select the See online counselling options button, complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule a first session.
Details come from information the counsellor supplied to BetterHelp. A membership or registration can be checked on the professional body's own register.
Online counselling is not emergency care. In an emergency call 999, or see the help numbers.