Helen Lea

I have many years of training and experience as a Psychotherapist (both in private practice and the NHS) and I draw on that to help create an individual therapy that's right for you.  My first focus in therapy is to work out, with you, what the problems are and how they came to be - and then to look at how we can work together to create change for you.

These are some of the common problems I work with:

Trauma (including PTSD), as the result of an accident, sexual/violent attack, traumatic bereavement, traumatic medical treatments, or other shocking event. 

Complex trauma and long-standing problems which go back to childhood, and cause difficulties now: including physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, problematic relationships with parents.

Panic, Anxiety, Worry:
I work with the full range of anxiety problems, including Panic Attacks, Generalised Anxiety Disorder (worry), Health Anxiety, Social Anxiety (including problems with blushing and performance anxiety), OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), Body Dysmorphic Disorder or Body Image problems, Phobias (including Vomit Phobia, Blood and Injection Phobia, Flight Phobia, etc).   I also work with people who are anxious about a physical problem such as dizziness or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Depression (including postnatal depression), low mood, low self-esteem, general lack of interest in life.

Relationship problems: with partners, children, parents, family, friends.

Issues of loss, including bereavement, sudden or long-term illness or loss of a role in life.

Work stress or other employment issues (such as bullying or overworking).

I have particular expertise in these kinds of therapy, but I always offer whatever I think will work best for you:

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing), which can be very effective for all kinds of psychological difficulties.  It offers a way of working with our emotional and physical selves, which provides an added benefit to 'talking' therapy.  It was originally used mostly for PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)  and is very good at dealing with the distressing symptoms caused by traumatic experiences.   I am an EMDR Consultant, which means I have been accredited as both an EMDR Therapist, and Supervisor of other EMDR Therapists.  You can see more information about EMDR here: https://emdrassociation.org.uk/

CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), which has some powerful tools and techniques for making changes in thinking and behaviour.  It is a more structured way of working, which some people prefer.  I am a BABCP accredited CBT Therapist, and Supervisor of other CBT Therapists.   You can see more information about CBT here: https://www.babcp.com

Internal Family Systems (IFS):  "At the heart of Internal Family Systems therapy is the belief that there is a calm, compassionate core ‘Self’ within each of us that cannot be damaged... The IFS therapist’s job is to help the client disentangle themselves from their parts and access their core Self.  The Self can then connect with each part and heal it."  (quote from IFS UK)  You can see more information about IFS here: https://ifs-institute.com/

My strengths as a therapist are:

• A warm and empathic approach
• Professionalism and being clear about what I offer and how therapy works
• Being able to work on short-term goals or provide a longer term experience of explorative therapy that deepens understanding
• A strong background of training and experience
• A commitment to rigorous continued training and reflection on my work
• Being engaged over many years in my own therapy and self-reflection

Choosing a counsellor or therapist can be a difficult process, particularly because there is such a wide range out there.  Qualifications and experience are not the only factor.   It's vital to the success of therapy to find the right person to work with, that you trust to share your therapeutic journey.  If you are interested in working with me I suggest a first session where we can both decide whether we want to work together.

For further information about me and how I work please visit my website.

If you have any questions, please contact me by email or phone - I am happy to have an informal discussion before arranging an appointment. 

I find weekly therapy is best for continuity and to make good progress with an issue.  If it is difficult for you to come weekly at the same time, I try to be flexible about appointment times.

I follow UKCP, BACP and BABCP Codes of Ethics.

I have professional insurance and supervision for my work.