Helen Willoughby, BACP, NCPS
Helen Willoughby has worked as a therapist since 2003, after many years as a nurse.
About Helen
Helen Willoughby has worked as a therapist since 2003, after many years as a nurse. She brings 22 years of clinical experience to her practice and supports people facing a wide range of concerns, including depression, anxiety and relationship challenges. Helen is registered with BACP and NCPS and practises from the United Kingdom.
Helen aims to create a calm, respectful space where clients can talk through what matters to them.
Background and approach
She treats each person as an individual and answers questions at the start of working together. Sessions focus on what the client wants to change or understand. In sessions she draws on different counselling methods to match each person’s needs.
Practical strategies from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy can help with unhelpful thinking and mood. Client-Centred ways of working place the person’s priorities at the centre of the conversation. Helen also uses Mindfulness techniques to help with stress and sleeping problems, and elements of Jungian thinking when exploring deeper patterns and life meaning.
She adapts what she uses to suit the problem being worked on, whether that is grief, addiction, trauma or low self-esteem. Her background as a nurse informs a down-to-earth, compassionate style. Helen supports people coping with major life changes, chronic illness, parenting strain and workplace stress.
She also offers coaching-focused work for career and goal-oriented concerns. Sessions are offered in English and Helen is open to working with clients internationally. She encourages anyone who is considering therapy to ask questions and take the first step at a pace they feel able to manage.
Registration
| Body | Registration number | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| BACP | 384407 | November 2026 |
| NCPS | NCS23-02395 | 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.
Costs are shown on the partner platform before you commit. If cost is a concern, ask about reduced-fee options.
Focus areas and approaches
What Helen works with
Everything Helen lists, in their own terms.
- 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.
Online support
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, uses practical steps to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. It often includes exercises to try between sessions and can be useful for low mood, anxiety and sleeping problems.
Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention and breathing practices to reduce stress and improve focus. These techniques can support coping with strong emotions and persistent worry.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. Helen will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their goals, needs and preferences. She adapts methods over time if something is not helping.
Online sessions are available by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging to offer practical flexibility. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when needed. Phone sessions or audio-only calls can fit into a busy day or require less bandwidth. Live chat and messaging work well for shorter check-ins, written reflection or when being off-camera helps someone engage. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, family life and travel schedules while keeping the focus on progress and practical change.
Frequently asked
What kinds of issues does Helen help with?
Helen works with many concerns including depression, anxiety, addictions, relationship and family matters, grief, trauma and self-esteem. She also supports people with sleep problems, career questions and long-term health issues.
How would you describe Helen's therapeutic style?
Her style is warm and down-to-earth with an emphasis on listening and treating each person as an individual. She combines practical tools with reflective conversation to address immediate problems and longer standing patterns.
What experience does she bring to sessions?
Helen has worked as a therapist since 2003 and previously trained and worked as a nurse. That mix gives her both clinical experience and practical perspectives on coping with illness and life changes.
What credentials and country is she based in?
She is registered with BACP and NCPS and practises from the United Kingdom.
Are sessions available in other languages or internationally?
Sessions are offered in English and Helen accepts international clients.
What session formats are offered?
Clients can meet by video call, phone session, live chat or text-based messaging depending on what suits them best.
How are sessions paid for?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; 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 and completing a short matching questionnaire, then schedule sessions according to therapist availability.
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