Helen Downs, NCPS
Helen Downs is a counsellor with seven years of experience who helps people facing stress, anxiety, addiction and trauma.
About Helen
Helen Downs is a counsellor with seven years of experience who helps people facing stress, anxiety, addiction and trauma. She also supports work on self-esteem, relationship and intimacy issues, grief, parenting strains, eating and sleeping problems, and mood conditions such as depression and bipolar. Helen accepts international clients and offers sessions in English.
Her approach is straightforward and person-focused. She listens without judgement and helps people name what feels wrong.
Background and approach
Conversations aim to uncover patterns, set practical goals, and build coping skills that can fit into daily life. Helen uses a mix of methods to suit each person. Cognitive behavioural techniques can help change unhelpful thinking and behaviour.
Client-centred work focuses on a person’s own priorities and pace. She also draws on dialectical behaviour ideas and hypnotherapy where appropriate, and explores deeper themes with psychodynamic thinking. She has practical experience supporting neurodivergent people and those affected by the criminal justice system.
That background informs how she adapts sessions to different needs and life situations. Helen emphasises respect, sensitivity and compassion in every meeting. Getting started is simple: clients complete a short matching questionnaire and then book sessions.
Therapy is arranged through a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time, and sessions can be held by video, phone, live chat or text messaging.
Details from the counsellor's public professional profile · registration number listed
← Browse all counsellorsRegistration
| Body | Registration number | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| NCPS | NCS17-05141 | June 2026 |
Registration details are as listed on the counsellor's public profile. You can check any number with the registering body.
Sessions and payment
Sessions are held online through our partner platform, by video, phone or messaging depending on the counsellor.
Cost Costs are shown on the partner platform before you commit. If cost is a concern, ask about reduced-fee options.
Focus areas and approaches
Everything Helen lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Trauma and abuse
- Self esteem
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Antisocial personality
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Avoidant personality
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Dependent personality
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- Emptiness
- Family problems
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- 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
- Postpartum depression
- 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
- Sexual dysfunction
- Sexuality
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Ways of working Helen names
- Client-Centred Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
- Hypnotherapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each counsellor lists and does not check training records.
Therapeutic approaches for online work
Helen uses cognitive behavioural therapy and client-centred methods online to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and make day-to-day changes. CBT involves practical exercises and small experiments to test new ways of thinking and behaving, which can suit problems like anxiety, low mood and insomnia. Client-centred work focuses on what matters to the person and follows their pace, helping with self-esteem, relationship worries and life transitions.She also draws on dialectical behaviour therapy ideas to teach emotion regulation, distress tolerance and improved communication. These skills can be useful for strong emotions, impulsive behaviours and managing stress. Choosing an approach is collaborative; the therapist and client review what is helping and adjust the plan together based on goals and preferences.
Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging to fit different lifestyles. Video is good for a full conversation and visual cues, phone can be simpler where bandwidth is limited, live chat suits shorter check-ins, and messaging lets people reflect over time. This range makes therapy more flexible for work schedules, travel or differing energy levels, while keeping the focus on practical progress and skills that transfer into everyday life.
Frequently asked
What concerns does Helen focus on?
She supports people dealing with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, low self-esteem, relationship and family issues, grief, eating and sleeping difficulties, bipolar and depression among other concerns.
How would she describe her therapy style?
Her style is person-focused and practical. She listens without judgement, helps people set goals, and uses conversational techniques to build coping skills.
What relevant experience does she have?
She has seven years of professional experience and seven years practising hypnotherapy, including work with neurodivergent clients and people connected to the prison services.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is listed with NCPS and is based in the United Kingdom.
Which languages and international options are available?
Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients.
What session formats are offered?
Sessions can be held by video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging to suit different needs.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to therapist availability.
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