- Years in practice
- 22
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Addictions
- Focus
- LGBT
About Helen
Helen Willoughby brings more than two decades of therapeutic experience to her work. She trained as a nurse before moving into counselling in 2003, and she now runs a independent practice from the United Kingdom. Helen is a member of the BACP and the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society, BACP and NCPS, and she offers sessions in English.
Helen helps people with a wide range of concerns. These include stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, grief and relationship difficulties.
Background and approach
She also supports people facing parenting strain, body image and eating issues, trauma and abuse, and challenges linked to identity and sexuality. Her style is warm and straightforward. Sessions are described plainly: she listens, answers questions at the start, and treats each person as an individual.
Helen draws on several counselling approaches so she can match the work to the person's needs and goals. In practice she will use client-centred methods to follow what the person brings and cognitive behavioural techniques to address thinking and behaviour patterns. Helen also uses mindfulness and motivational strategies to build practical skills for coping with stress and change.
Therapy can feel hard at first, and Helen recognises that takes courage. She aims to offer a calm, kind space to pause, reflect and practise new ways of handling life. To begin, people complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule sessions according to the usual arrangements for her practice.
What Helen works with
Everything Helen lists, in their own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Helen helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Trauma and abuse
- Eating disorders
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Avoidant personality
- Body image
- Cancer
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Fertility issues
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- HIV / AIDS
- Hoarding
- Hospice and end-of-life counselling
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Visually impaired
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Helen lists
- Client-Centred Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Jungian Therapy
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Solution-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each counsellor names and does not check training records.
Approaches that translate well to online therapy
The client-centred approach focuses on listening and following what matters to the person. It helps when someone needs a non-judgemental space to talk about identity, relationships or grief and for parents coping with everyday pressures.Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) looks at patterns of thinking and behaviour and teaches practical steps to reduce anxiety, manage mood or change unhelpful habits. It often suits people who want structured tools they can practise between sessions.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. Helen will talk with each person about their goals, preferences and what feels most useful. Together they decide whether to draw more on client-centred conversations, CBT exercises or other methods and adjust the plan as therapy progresses.
Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video calls let people keep face-to-face conversation without travel, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited, live chat works for shorter check-ins, and text messaging supports reflection between sessions. These formats make it simpler to fit therapy around work, parenting and daily life while still following an approach that meets personal needs.
Questions people ask about Helen
What kinds of problems can Helen help with?
She works with many concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, and parenting strain.
How would you describe Helen's therapeutic style?
Her approach is warm and straightforward; she listens closely, answers questions at the start of therapy and adapts methods to each person's needs.
What is her background and experience?
Helen was a nurse before qualifying as a counsellor in 2003 and has 22 years' experience working in independent practice and with a broad range of concerns.
Which credentials does she hold and where is she based?
She holds BACP and NCPS credentials and practises from the United Kingdom.
Can I work with her if I live outside the UK?
Yes, she accepts international clients and conducts sessions in English.
What session formats are offered?
Sessions can take place by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging to suit different needs and schedules.
How are sessions paid for and what does it cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist arrangements; sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with Helen?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.
More counsellors who work with stress & anxiety
See all of them
Neil Cochrane
BACP
4 years in practice
Supportive counsellor for stress and parenting
- Stress, Anxiety
- Anger
- Self esteem
Jeanette Ellis
BACP
11 years in practice
Compassionate practical support for everyday challenges
- Stress, Anxiety
- Self esteem
- Depression
David Goodman
BACP
5 years in practice
Calm, person-centred counselling with EMDR
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship
- Trauma and abuse