Helen Madden

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she/her
Registered MBACP
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire, SK23
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

About me

I offer counselling in a traditional setting with adults, young adults and children and 'Walk and Talk' therapy in the High Peak and Cheshire countryside.

I offer a warm, confidential, safe space in which you are free to explore your thoughts and feelings.
Being able to talk in confidence to someone who will not judge you and who will help you to find your way forward can enable you to unravel emotions that may have become overwhelming.

Counselling is designed to support people who want to make changes in their lives. People access counselling for a wide range of reasons. My aim is to support you in understanding and resolving those past or present difficulties where they are impacting negatively on your day to day living. Counselling offers a physical and psychological space to reflect on circumstances and develop the ability to move on by making more effective choices.

I am an integrative counsellor but use a person centred approach which means establishing a relationship with you, building trust, and supporting you in your journey to finding your own solutions that you can take away with you.

Our first session together is offered at a reduced rate. This session gives us an opportunity to explore how we might work together and whether I am the right counsellor for you.

I am a Member of BACP and work to their ethics, meaning that my practise is responsible and accountable.

I work from Riverside Wellbeing, a therapeutic collective in Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire. There is free parking nearby and the office is 5 minutes walk from Whaley Bridge train station. The office is accessible for those with limited mobility.

I offer online counselling via Zoom.

I also offer counselling via telephone.

Walk and Talk - Counselling sessions in High Peak, Derbyshire and Cheshire

Some people find the thought of face to face counselling indoors, in a relatively confined space, a daunting or overwhelming prospect.  Others may have tried counselling in conventional environments but found it uncomfortable or wished for a less intensive approach. If this resonates with you then Walk and Talk sessions may be a helpful alternative.

The natural environment can provide a space to allow you to think more freely, to engage your senses and to explore your feelings. Many people find that the tranquility of the countryside can induce a meditative/reflective mood which supports emotional awareness. Exercise can also help people become "unstuck" when confronting difficult issues and it can spur creative, deeper ways of thinking.

I offer a choice of easy or moderate walks on flat or undulating terrain. All walks offer a mix of public footpaths, bridleways, open countryside and quiet country lanes as well as ones more suitable for times when the weather conditions are less favourable. You will not need to be 'super fit' or even very outdoors orientated to benefit from this setting for your counselling.

Sessions will run in most weather conditions but if too severe the session will take place indoors in Whaley Bridge, SK23.

Our initial consultation together will take place in a counselling room or via Zoom or telephone so we can discuss the differences of working outdoors, considering together things like where we meet, how we manage the time, the weather and the pace etc.

Walk and Talk can be conducted in a socially distanced manner so can be an effective way of safely working together. Please don't hesitate to give me a call if you want to discuss how it could work for you.


Counselling with Children

I can offer a calm, safe environment. Through talking, creative work and play I aim to provide children with the opportunity to be heard and to express their feelings.
Most importantly a therapeutic relationship is built up and I build this by engaging with children through the medium of play.

I am currently working as school counsellor in two primary schools and here my aim is to establish a strong relationship with the child so that they feel secure enough to share worries and concerns when they are ready to do so.
Once trust is established I seek to build the emotional resilience of the child.

Fundamentally, in my work with children, my therapeutic approach is informed by attachment theory which emphasises the crucial developmental significance of the relationships and experiences of early childhood.

Training, qualifications & experience

I qualified with a Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling in 2013 and since qualification have been working in three areas;

As school counsellor in two local primary schools

For the charity AgeUK working with clients in their 50s and over (currently counselling over the phone only)

In my own private practice.

I receive professional supervision and attend training courses to enhance and support my practice.

I am a Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and Counselling and Psycotherapy Outdoors (CAPO).

Below are some of the training courses that I have completed in addition to my counsellor training:

Safeguarding in work with Children (Place2Be) September 2013

Working with Children's Difference and Diversity (Place2Be) October 2013

Helping children tell their stories (Place2Be) November 2013

Working with Children using Metaphor (Place2Be) January 2014

Children's Emotional Wellbeing (Place2Be) March 2014

Mindfulness Practice and Research Symposium Salford University July 2016

The ageing process. An exploration of the Ageing Self Manchester Gestalt Centre October 2016

Working with addiction: underlying causes BACP January 2017

Working with bereaved clients BACP March 2017

Working with female prisoners (Women MATTA) March 2017

MSBR Course Mindfulness for Living Jan-March 2017

Working with sex and pornography addiction BACP March 2017

Working with identity and self esteem in young people with eating disorders BACP April 2017

Working with young people in the LGBT community - BACP April 2017

Working with young people who self harm - BACP May 2017

Working with Body Dysmorphic Disorder - Counselling NW September 2017

Awareness of Domestic Violence and Abuse Manchester Safeguarding Boards October 2017

Suicide Awareness and Prevention - NHS November 2017

A Disorder for Everyone: Exploring the culture of psychiatric diagnosis, creating change. December 2017

Loss: What does life mean for me now? BACP October 2018

Mindfulness in Recovery from alcohol/drug addiction - Counselling NW - June 2019

Culture and Identity in Counselling: Working as a Cross-Cultural Counsellor  - Counselling NW November 2019

A Dive into Mindfulness - Riverside Wellbeing - November 2019

Mind or Body - what's in charge? - BACP December 2019

Dealing with Distress: Working with Suicide and Self-harm - Carolyn Spring Training - January 2020

Compassion Focussed Therapy - How to Develop a Compassionate Self - Counselling NW - January 2020

Making connections with an Autistic Brain - BACP -  February 2020

Mental Health and the Body. Treating Trauma - Carolyn Spring - April 2020

Working with Trauma in a Time of Trauma - Carolyn Spring - May 2020

Working with Trauma That Has Become Stuck - Carolyn Spring - May 2020

Compulsive exercise, Sports and Steroid Abuse - NHS Derbyshire/First Steps - October 2020

Body Image and Perception -  NHS Derbyshire/First Steps - November 2020

Eating Disorders - All Ages and Genders - NHS Derbyshire/First Steps - November 2020

Safeguarding Children Level 3 Online Training Course December 2020

Autism in Women and Girls - Sarah Hendrickx - February 2021

CBT and Counselling for Autism Spectrum Disorder Clients - Tony Atwood  - April 2022

Working at Relational Depth in Counselling and Psychotherapy - Mick Cooper PESI Training September 2022

Working with children and young people - A non medicalised approach Dr Sami Timimi AD4E - October 2022

Applying Attachment Theory in Clinical Practice: Transforming development defects and building secure attachment - Lisa Cundy PESI Training April 2023

Trauma: Counselling children and young people in care. Kathryn Cox BACP Training May 2023 

Children do not leave their trauma at the school gates: Florence Nadaud BACP Training May 2023

Internal Family Systems to treat Trauma and Addiction - PESI Training September 2023

Treating Trauma and Addiction with the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model - Jan Winhall PESI Training October 2023

ADHD and Neurodiversity Intervention for Women: Essential strength based skills and tools to use in your clinical practice. Micelle Franks - PESI Training February 2024

Advanced Safeguarding Children Level 2 Online Training Course  - February 2024

Member organisations

BACP
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)

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

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
Accredited Register Scheme

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.

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy

Fees

£35.00 - £45.00

Concessions offered for

  • Students
  • Trainee counsellors
  • Unemployed

Additional information

My fees are £45 per hour.

Fees for children and teenagers are £35 per hour.

A first appointment is offered at a reduced rate and is an opportunity for us to explore, with no obligation, how it would be to work together.

Walk and Talk sessions are £40 per hour.

Online and telephone sessions are £40 per hour.

I can offer a concessionary rate for counselling students in training and for those in receipt of benefits.






When I work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Night

Day time appointments, some evenings available by arrangement.

Further information

I am fully insured and have been checked and cleared by the Disclosure and Barring Service ( DBS )

Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire, SK23

Type of session

In person
Online
Phone

Types of client

Children
Young people
Adults
Older Adults

Key details

Wheelchair user access
Wheelchair user access

Wheelchair-accessible premises should have step-free access for wheelchair users and individuals who are unable to climb stairs. If a Counsellor's premises aren't step-free, they may offer alternative services such as telephone/web-based appointments, home visits, or meeting clients in different location, so you can choose the option that suits you best.

You can contact the Counsellor to discuss the options available.

Under the Equality Act 2010 service providers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that individuals with disabilities can access their service. You can read more about reasonable adjustments to help you to access services on the CAB website.