Helen Leach
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About me
I am an Accredited member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), with over 10 years of experience in practice. I have worked in both private practice and the charity sector. My time working in the charity sector has given me a wealth of experience ranging from working therapeutically with adults to developing and managing a children and young person’s counselling service for 6 years. The focus of this work has mainly been based around trauma and anxiety related issues.
I was trained as an Integrative Counsellor which means that I can offer a range of different approaches, tailored to suit your individual needs. However, my fundamental approach is person centred, which means that I recognise that you are the expert on yourself, and my role is to support you in exploring, processing and coping with the challenges you are experiencing in your life.
My passion is to provide clients with a safe space that will enable you to feel more embodied and connected and to live a happier, fuller life. I will work with you to identify what you would like to gain from the counselling process and provide you with a safe and empathic environment to explore those issues. I will also support you to develop personal resources to promote resilience and wellbeing, that will both help you throughout the counselling process, but also more generally in life.
Alongside practicing as a counsellor, I am a yoga teacher and therefore have a strong interest in the connection between the mind and the body. Our emotions affect our bodies, and how we move our bodies affects our emotions. The body and the mind are closely linked, and this is why people often experience physical symptoms in relation to their mental health. I currently teach Trauma Informed Yoga within the charity sector, alongside general public classes. Learning to better understand the link between the mind and the body is key to living a more empowered life. I have a strong interest in body based therapies and have engaged in numerous continuing professional development training sessions in relation to this.
As well as my private practice, I work as a Project Development Manager within the charity sector developing training and resources for both counsellors, mental health practitioners, as well as other professionals. I have worked for this charity since 2011 in a number of different roles including: a counsellor, an Independent Sexual Violence Advocate (ISVA), and since 2015, within the management team.
Training, qualifications & experience
- Level 4 Diploma in Integrative Counselling (NCFE, 2013)
- Diploma in Counselling Children and Young People (2016)
- Postgraduate Certificate in Advocacy for Survivors of Sexual Violence (The University of Worcester, 2013)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Sociology (The University of Manchester, 2010)
- Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Skills (2010)
- Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Concepts (2009)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Education (University of Central Lancashire, 2009)
- BA (hons) Media and Cultural Studies (Liverpool John Moores University, 2006)
I am committed to continuing professional development (CPD) and regularly attend courses to further develop my knowledge as a counsellor.
As part of my work in the charity sector, I have developed post-qualifying diplomas for counsellors in working with both adult trauma and child trauma.
Awards
LimeCulture Limelight Award - The Vicky Bardsley Prize: Outstanding Achievement by an Independent Sexual Violence Advocate (ISVA) Supporting Children and Young People (2016)
Member organisations
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.
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.
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
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£50.00 per session
