Helen Willoughby

• Stress and anxiety
• CBT and mindfulness
• Grief and loss

About Helen

Helen Willoughby helps people with stress, anxiety, addiction, grief and relationship concerns using person-centred work alongside cognitive and reflective approaches. She is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP, and has 22 years of experience as a counsellor and therapist.

Helen trained and previously worked as a nurse before moving into therapy in 2003. That background informs her practical, grounded approach to talking therapies. She uses Client-Centred Therapy along with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Jungian ideas, mindfulness and motivational interviewing where these fit a person’s needs.

Sessions focus on what a person wants to change or understand. Helen aims to listen, clarify what matters and try small, practical steps between sessions. She also draws on reflection about values and personal patterns when that helps someone make different choices.

She has worked with a wide range of issues including sexuality, gender, low self-confidence, family problems, abuse, trauma, eating concerns, sleep and work-related stress. Helen also supports people facing major life changes, long-term illness, and caregiving strain.

Her style is straightforward and calm. At the first meeting she answers questions about how counselling will run and what to expect. People are invited to set goals and review progress as therapy continues.

How Helen uses therapeutic methods in online work

Client-Centred Therapy emphasises listening and working at a person’s pace, focusing on what they want from counselling and helping them make their own choices. It is useful for issues like low confidence, relationship questions and navigating life changes.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) looks at patterns of thought and behaviour to identify small changes that can reduce distress. This approach can help with anxiety, sleep problems and managing mood swings by testing different ways of responding.

Mindfulness work introduces simple practices to reduce reactivity and improve attention to the present moment, which can support stress reduction and coping with difficult feelings.

Finding the right blend of approaches is part of the process. The counsellor will work collaboratively to decide which methods suit a person’s goals, preferences and circumstances, and review what is helping as sessions continue.

Practical benefits of remote counselling should be checked before booking because the biography does not list specific session formats. Ask which formats are available so you can pick what fits your day-to-day life, for example shorter check-ins that suit a work break or sessions that do not require being on camera. Many people find remote sessions easier to fit around family and work commitments, and Helen can help plan how therapy fits into everyday routines.

Topics Helen lists

• Stress and 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 and AIDS
• Hoarding
• Hospice and end-of-life counselling
• Infidelity
• Isolation and 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 and non-monogamous relationships
• Post-traumatic stress
• Pregnancy and childbirth
• Prejudice and discrimination
• Process addictions
• 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

Ways of working

• Client-Centred Therapy
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Jungian Therapy
• Mindfulness Therapy
• Motivational Interviewing
• Solution-Focused Therapy

Questions about Helen

Does she work with anxiety?

Yes. Anxiety and stress are listed among areas she addresses, including sleep-related issues and coping strategies.

What kind of counselling does she offer?

She uses Client-Centred Therapy alongside Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Jungian approaches, mindfulness and motivational interviewing.

What is her experience in counselling?

She has worked as a therapist since 2003 and has 22 years of counselling experience, after a prior career as a nurse.

Where is she based and what are her credentials?

She is based in the United Kingdom and is a member of BACP and NCPS as stated in her profile.

Can I see her if I live outside the UK?

International clients are accepted; sessions are offered in English.

What session formats does she use?

Please confirm current session options before booking as formats were not specified in the biography.

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 counselling with her?

Use the Talk to a counsellor online button, complete the short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session.