Helen Garvey

I have current availability on a Monday & Tuesday afternoon, plus  a Wednesday & Thursday morning. 

I offer evening sessions also. They are all currently taken but you are very welcome to have a no-charge initial conversation to gauge whether you feel you'd like to wait for a slot to become available.

I am a Â鶹ԭ´´ registered, trauma-informed Humanistic Integrative counsellor offering individuals short or long-term counselling/therapy from my therapy room at my home. My approach is primarily Person-Centred and relational, with the focus being on how your world is feeling for you. We are unique beings but sometimes our uniqueness is not seen or appreciated. My priority is to value your uniqueness and help you find meaning and a way forward for whatever is challenging for you. I firmly believe we all have the capacity to overcome adversity and evolve to live a meaningful life, no matter how old we are, whatever our situation and how hopeless it may feel. 

Personal and professional integrity are very important to me and it is this I offer you, together with my wealth of experience and rigorous training in therapeutic approaches. I have worked for over thirty years in the helping professions of nursing, teaching adults Skills for Life and supporting people with their mental health. On a daily basis, I have helped people understand their thoughts, feelings and behaviours. If you are feeling confused, lost, hopeless, heartbroken, angry, anxious or bereft I will hear you and offer you compassion, confidentiality, warmth and understanding to help you find some clarity on what is happening for you, in a way that is right for you. Together we can get you on a path that feels better for you.

I have a keen interest in exploring how our parts of our brain/mind can seem to work quite separately from other parts of our mind, resulting in conflicting and contrasting behaviour patterns that leave us confused and searching for answers. 

I have experience in using creative approaches to access harder to reach 'parts' and feelings.

I have a passion for creative writing and how it supports mental health. Together we can explore and develop your personal writing if this is an area of interest to you.

I work from my therapy room at home, which is a calm, quiet, welcoming space overlooking my garden. 

I offer a no-charge 20 minute introductory phone call for you to explore whether you think you'd feel comfortable with me, plus it will give me an opportunity to see if I would be the best counsellor for you. If then, you'd like to go ahead with sessions I will suggest that we meet weekly at the same time/day. Sessions are 50/55 mins. 

I am quite informal in my style of counselling, giving priority to how we are interacting with each other, rather than prioritising  theory.  Research has clearly shown it is the relationship that yields the best therapeutic outcomes for people and it is this I hold uppermost in my mind. I offer to journey with you as we explore together what is causing you distress or confusion. 

I believe you are the best judge of how you need our sessions to progress, so please be assured that we will work at a pace that feels comfortable for you. 

Every therapeutic relationship is unique and we will tailor your needs accordingly. I have various creative resources we can use in my therapy room, whether that be using a sand tray, paints, pens/paper, using poetry, reflective writing to gain a greater understanding of your experiences. Further, if you'd like to do 'work' between sessions to maximise your counselling experience, this can be included.

In the first session we can use the time in a way that feels comfortable for you. 

We can talk through my privacy notice and counselling agreement to ensure we both have a clear understanding of how your personal details will be held confidentially. Time can be given to any queries you may have about me, the way I work, and what you can expect from me.