- Compassionate listening
- Practical coping steps
- Hypnotherapy experience
About Helen
Helen Downs works with issues such as stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, low self-esteem, grief and codependency. She offers a calm, respectful space where people can talk through what feels overwhelming and start to make practical changes.
Helen is NCPS, which indicates a professional registration she holds. She has around seven years' experience delivering counselling and has practised hypnotherapy for seven years. Her clinical background includes work in the prison service and with neurodiverse clients.
In sessions she listens first, then helps people set small, achievable goals. Helen uses straightforward tools drawn from approaches such as cognitive behavioural work and client-centred talking therapy. She also draws on psychodynamic ideas and hypnotherapy when these suit a person's needs.
She aims to be sensitive to diversity and to the particular stresses that come from addiction, ADHD and involvement with the justice system. Helen describes her style as compassionate and practical, helping people plan next steps and rebuild direction after setbacks.
People who meet her can expect a conversational, down-to-earth pace. The focus is on what matters to the individual and on finding coping steps that fit day-to-day life. Helen supports international clients and runs sessions from the United Kingdom.
How therapeutic approaches work online with Helen
Client-Centred Therapy focuses on listening and understanding the person's experience. The therapist offers empathy and reflection so the person can find their own answers; this helps when people feel stuck or unsure of their next step.Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, looks at practical links between thoughts, feelings and actions. It uses simple exercises and tasks to reduce anxiety, manage mood and change unhelpful patterns over time.
Finding the best approach is part of the work. Helen will discuss options and help decide what fits a person's goals and preferences. This is a collaborative process and may change as therapy progresses.
Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, reduce travel time and allow for continuity when people live far from a counsellor. Confirm the current session options before booking to know what formats are offered. Registered or accredited professionals, including therapists with hypnotherapy experience, often adapt exercises and short skills practice for remote sessions so people can use them between meetings.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
7+ years
Credentials
Listed on profile
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Helen help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, low self-esteem, grief, codependency and related issues such as ADHD and relationship strain.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her style is conversational and practical, focusing on listening first then setting small, achievable goals. She combines gentle exploration with hands-on coping strategies.
How long has she been practising?
Helen has around seven years of professional experience and has practised hypnotherapy for seven years.
Where is she based and what credential does she hold?
She works from the United Kingdom and uses the credential NCPS as listed in her profile.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the UK work with her?
She accepts international clients according to the information provided.
How are fees and payments organised?
Cost varies with location and therapist arrangements; sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin a course of sessions?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling according to the therapist's availability.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.