Counselling in Preston and online
A calm, confidential space to talk things through.
I'm Helen, a qualified counsellor. Whatever has brought you here, you don't have to carry it on your own. We'll make sense of it together, at your own pace.
You are more than the hardest thing you're carrying. Counselling helps you see the whole picture again.
What I can help with
You might be here because…
These are some of the things people bring. If yours isn't here, that doesn't mean I can't help. Get in touch and we'll talk it through.
Anxiety and stress
Feeling overwhelmed, constantly on edge, or unable to switch off. Together we can understand what's driving it and find steadier ground.
Low mood and depression
When things feel flat, heavy or hopeless. Counselling offers space to be heard and to reconnect with what matters to you.
Loss and bereavement
Grief doesn't follow a timetable. A space to talk about the person you've lost and what life looks like now.
Relationships
Difficulties with a partner, family, friends or at work, and patterns that keep repeating.
Life changes
Transitions such as separation, redundancy, parenthood, retirement or illness that leave you feeling unmoored.
Self-esteem and confidence
A persistent inner critic, or a sense of not being enough. We can gently explore where that comes from.
Eco-anxiety and climate distress
Grief, fear or anger about the state of the world, and the sense of carrying it alone. I've spent years working on climate change and take these feelings seriously.
Burnout and compassion fatigue
Exhaustion and loss of purpose, especially in caring, health, teaching, charity or campaigning work where the job can feel like it never ends.
Living and working between cultures
Settling after years abroad, or feeling caught between places and identities. I've lived and worked overseas myself.
Helen: I added 07 to 09 based on your background. Keep, change or remove them.
Who I work with
For people who give a lot of themselves to public service, care, and a fairer world.
We are living through a time of great change that is disrupting both work and the workplace. Every day, people in public service, caring professions, and the third and charity sector are asked to deliver more with fewer resources, navigate messy bureaucracy, and keep up with rising demands. Behind the scenes, that pressure takes a real personal toll, leading to exhaustion, compassion fatigue, and the stress of trying to make ends meet on stretched pay.
I provide a dedicated reflective space where you can pause, step back from the frontline, and safely unpack the emotional weight of your work without judgement, designed to help you reconnect with yourself, restore your energy, and sustain your purpose in demanding roles. While I do not provide technical or clinical case supervision, I offer a confidential place to process vicarious trauma, navigate burnout, and look after your own wellbeing while caring for others or working for a fairer world.
- Burnout, compassion fatigue and moral injury
- Hope, grief and anger about the state of the world
- Uncertainty as your job, organisation or sector changes around you
- Boundaries, guilt, and the pull to keep giving
- Decisions about staying, changing or leaving the work
What this is, and isn't
Personal counselling, offered to you as a person rather than as a professional. It sits alongside any supervision your role requires and doesn't replace it. It's a place that is yours.
Everything you share is confidential, within the usual limits that all counsellors work to, and nothing is reported back to an employer or a regulator.
Arrange a first conversation
About me
Hello, I'm Helen.
I'm a qualified counsellor, with a Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling, and a registered member of the [BACP / UKCP / NCPS]. I work with adults in Preston and online across the UK.
I came to counselling after a long career in international development and climate justice, including twelve years at Oxfam. I work in a [person-centred / integrative / psychodynamic] way, which means our sessions are led by you and what you need, rather than a fixed programme.
You don't need to have the right words, or to know where to start. We'll start wherever you are.
- Sessions in person in Preston and online by video
- Weekly sessions of 50 minutes
- Short-term or open-ended, depending on what you need
- Fully confidential and professionally insured
Ready to take the first step?
Get in touch for a free, no-obligation 15-minute phone call. It's a chance to ask questions and see whether working together feels right.