Helen Binnie
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Life can be full of joy and feel meaningful, but for many people, it can also be very challenging, painful and confusing. Sometimes, it is both at the same time. It may be that feelings of joy and contentment are something you’ve never felt but long to find, or perhaps you wish to find meaning in the way that you live, or you need support while navigating an important life transition.
You may be experiencing strong feelings you don’t understand or are faced with decisions you can’t easily make. The journey through life is invariably multifaceted and ever-evolving. In therapy, you can find a safe space where together we can explore your thoughts and feelings so that you can connect with your authentic self so you are able to better understand your thoughts, emotions and behaviours.
It is important to know that the therapeutic journey can be challenging at times; it always requires courage to look at oneself honestly. Although everyone is different, and finding joy may not feel like a priority for you right now, it can be one of the extraordinary rewards of the therapeutic journey. However long or short your journey is, any self-knowledge you uncover for yourself has the potential to unlock your capacity for joy and contentment from wherever you find yourself right now.
There are many reasons why you might choose therapy now. It may be for support through a difficult time or perhaps for a specific issue that’s troubling you. Sometimes it is a feeling of general unease or one of the big life questions, like ‘What is the meaning of my life?’ ‘How do I want to spend the rest of my life?’
Whatever has brought you here, you have control of the pace and what you bring, what you explore and what your priorities are. You will have a safe, confidential, non-judgmental space to process your feelings and thoughts and to understand your unique self better.
I also have a particular interest in therapy as part of a holistic model of mental, physical and spiritual health. This view is founded on my belief that our personal wellbeing is impacted by the mind-body link and how stress, fear, chronic illnesses, and ill health impact and inter-relate to emotional health, sexual health, general well-being and relationships with others.
Finally and importantly I believe that therapy can be a route to finding your joy. That the therapeutic journey is not only reparative but it is also can increase the capacity to find meaning and pleasure as well as intimacy with others and a renewal of optimism and general well being.
Training, qualifications & experience
I work with clients who bring a broad range of issues to therapy however currently an area of special focus for my practice is the many issues raised by identity and intersectionality, contemporary diverse relationships, gender and sexuality issues as well as clients who have experienced sexual or relational trauma.
I trained as a person-centred, humanistic therapist and psychosexual and relationship psychotherapist over 15 years ago and I have worked as an integrative therapist in private practice and other third sector organisations, since.
My initial therapy practice was rooted in the fields of trauma and addiction in particular working with men and women who had experienced sexual violence either as children or as adults – or both. As well as working directly with clients I also trained Police officers from several police forces and other third sector organisations in how to better support victims of sexual violence and then in addition moved into management consultancy and training for government departments developing their anti-bullying and harassment policies and counselling support systems. This work led to my Master’s level Psychosexual Therapy training at a leading London Hospital and University which included clinical work in the NHS Hospital's Women's Health Department. This enabled me to be better able to support clients with sexual difficulties with Psychosexual therapy.
Subsequently, I have practiced as a registered (Reg COSRT) psychosexual and relationship therapist and a psychotherapist (MBACP). I am an LGBTQIA+ ally and a trauma informed therapist.
Qualifications and Training:
- M.Sc. Psychosexual Psychotherapy South Bank University/Whittington Hospital NHS Trust, London (1994-1998)
- Certificate & Diploma Counselling Surrey Open College Network, Guildford (1992-95)
- Registered Member BACP (MBACP) – Registration number 387553
- Registered Member COSRT (RegCOSRT) – Registration number 4212
Member organisations
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred).
Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision.
Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training.
All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
COSRT is the UK’s leading membership organisation for therapists specialising in sexual and relationship issues.
All members must abide by their Code of Ethics and the performance of accredited members is regularly monitored.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Other areas of counselling I deal with
Some issues where Psychosexual Therapy can be helpful:
- Difficult feelings associated with sex which can derive from previous experiences of sexual or relational trauma
- Pain during intercourse or difficulty achieving orgasm
- Low sexual desire, loss of desire or sexual aversion
- Arousal problems
- Communication problems related to sex and intimacy
- Relationship and intimacy issues that impact sexual satisfaction
Therapies offered
Fees
£90.00 - £110.00
Free initial telephone session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
£90 per Individual session (50 mins) of Psychotherapy or Psychosexual Therapy
£110 per Couples session (50 mins) £110 of Psychosexual or Relationship Therapy
When I work
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Appointments can be booked online via my website www.livingwelltherapy.co.uk an initial free 15-20 can also be booked if required so that I can answer any questions that you might have.
Further information
People are unique, and so are their stories, struggles, and, therefore, their preferred styles of therapy. Recognising this, my therapeutic approach is not one-size-fits-all. I am always guided by you, the client, on which therapeutic approaches and tools work best for you. My expertise in Psychosexual and Couples therapy also enables me to address specific challenges in these domains, offering a holistic therapeutic experience.
I adhere to the ethical guidelines and code of conduct set by the BACP and COSRT. I am Registered with COSRT and MBACP and have trained and worked as a psychosexual therapist in the NHS.
