Helen Martin

Individual Counselling (18yrs+)

Many people come to me when life feels difficult, when managing alone - or even with the support of others - no longer feels enough, and when familiar coping strategies start to lose their footing. 

My approach centres on offering a safe, caring, and approachable space where you'll be truly heard, understood and supported.  Over the years, I've successfully worked with individuals navigating a wide range of challenges, including: living with a more general sense of feeling stuck/overwhelmed/or unsure,anxiety, depression, grief and loss, bereavement,relationship difficulties, neurodivergent-related challenges, and the lasting effects of trauma - both recent and rooted in the past. Within this, I have experience supporting people with low self-esteem, self-harm, disordered eating, abuse and complex and intergenerational trauma.

Therapy offers a space to pause, reflect, and make sense of what you are experiencing, whether you are feeling overwhelmed, stuck, disconnected, or simply aware that something needs to change. You may come with a particular difficulty you would like to explore, or you may not be quite sure where to begin. Together, we can gently explore your experiences, thoughts, feelings, and patterns with openness and compassion, without judgement.

I work collaboratively and at a pace that feels right for you, creating a supportive space where you can feel heard, understood, and able to develop a deeper understanding of yourself. My work supports helping you to cope, building emotional resilience and moving towards a life that feels more stable, connected and fulfilling.

For many people, thinking about starting counselling can feel daunting or uncertain.  Please know that you will be met with care and understanding, and you don’t need to have the right words or a clear starting point - just a sense that you’d like to begin.

If this feels right for you, I warmly invite you to get in touch. You're welcome to email me at helen@helenmartin-counselling.co.uk, call 07464 841356, or contact me via my website: www.helenmartin-counselling.co.uk

Relationship and Couples Counselling

It’s normal for relationships to move through periods of ease and difficulty, but sometimes those challenges become more fixed and you may find yourselves caught in unhelpful patterns that feel hard to shift. When conversations become emotionally charged or difficult to manage, it can be hard to talk things through without support.  As a qualified and impartial Relationship and Couples Counsellor, I believe in the value of relationship counselling to help you make sense of what's happening between you, ease unhelpful cycles, and find more helpful ways of communicating to better understand each other. 

I offer two types of relationship counselling:

• Relationship counselling can be helpful for any two people who are navigating a relationship together - for example, friends, family members or colleagues. It offers a space to explore communication, strengthen understanding, and work through difficulties in a supportive environment.
• Couples counselling is suitable for any couple, at any stage of their relationship, who are experiencing difficulties or who simply want to strengthen their communication and understanding of one another. This includes married couples, long‑term partners, those living together, and those who are separated or divorced but still navigating shared responsibilities or ongoing connection.

I work with an extensive range of challenges, including but not limited to:

• Communication difficulties
• Feeling stuck in familiar patterns
• Intimacy challenges 
• Affairs or betrayal
• Separation and divorce
• Parenting pressures
• Step‑family dynamics
• Bereavement
• Life changes
• Work stress
• Retirement
• Effects and impact of trauma.

My training is in a development model of relationships which informs my understanding of the stages relationships and couples move through, and the points where relational patterns can become stuck. I offer a safe, supportive and appropriately challenging space to explore your relational difficulties and the dynamics that sit beneath them. Supporting all parties to recognise the unconscious and subconscious behaviours that shape their relationships is a central part of this work. Gaining insight into these deeper patterns, and understanding how they influence the way you relate to others, can open the possibility for clearer self‑understanding, interrupt unhelpful cycles, and create the conditions for lasting change.

If this feels right for you, I warmly invite you to get in touch. You're welcome to email me at helen@helenmartin-counselling.co.uk, call 07464 841356, or contact me via my website: www.helenmartin-counselling.co.uk

Additional Therapeutic Work: 2Wish & Mentoring Trainee Counsellors

Aside from individual and relationship & couples counselling, I also work in partnership as a counsellor with 2Wish (www.2wish.org.uk), a charity that provides free, confidential support to those affected by the sudden and unexpected death of a child or young person aged 25 and under. This includes, but is not limited to, parents, siblings, grandparents, partners, extended family, friends, witnesses, and professionals such as healthcare workers, emergency services and educators. As one of their counsellors working in the local community, this work is deeply meaningful to me. It involves offering compassionate, specialist support to individuals and families at some of the most painful and disorienting moments of their lives. Being part of a service that holds people with such care and dignity is an important and valued aspect of my professional practice.

In addition, I also mentor trainee counsellors at a local counselling organisation as they work towards their qualifications.

Practicalities

In-Person or Online

My in-person sessions are offered at my practice at The Treatment Hub in Basingstoke town centre, Hampshire. My room is private and comfortable, helping you feel safe and at ease. It’s a place where you can pause, be heard, and explore your thoughts and feelings with support and understanding.

I also offer sessions online via Microsoft Teams, which can be a flexible and convenient way to access support from the comfort of your own space. Whether distance, mobility, or other commitments make it difficult to attend in person, online counselling can provide a consistent, supportive space where we can explore your thoughts and feelings together at your own pace.

Next Steps

Reaching out for support feels different for everyone. For some, it can take real courage, but choosing to put yourself first can be the first step toward positive change – and I’m here to make that first contact feel as warm and welcoming as possible.

If you’d like to find out how counselling could support you, you’re welcome to email me at helen@helenmartin-counselling.co.uk, call 07464 841356, or contact me through my website at www.helenmartin-counselling.co.uk

Testimonials

"Helen's skilled approach combines integrity and compassion, bringing a calm, grounded presence to her work. Her thoughtful, empathic approach and knowledgeable insightfulness supports clients in navigating even the most complex emotional challenges." (shared by a fellow counsellor with permission)

"Deciding to enter into counselling can be a daunting and challenging process, but I  found  working alongside Helen to be the most rewarding and worthwhile experience. Helen has so much compassion, empathy and counselling experience which helped me to open up and speak frankly knowing I was in a secure and safe environment.  Together we  worked through my challenges in an open ended contract which allowed me to work at my own pace with out any pressure. Thank you Helen for your support and warm welcome every week." (shared by a client with permission)

• Grief
• Loss
• Bereavement 

Sessions are held weekly, on the same day and at the same time each week. It is this regular rhythm that helps create a consistent, reliable space for the therapeutic work to unfold.

For Individual Counselling: my fee is £60 per session for both in-person and online counselling. Each session lasts 50 minutes. I offer both time-limited and open-ended counselling options, tailored to your needs.

For Relationship and Couples Counselling: my fee is £100 per session for both in-person and online counselling. Each session lasts 50 minutes. I offer both time-limited and open-ended counselling options, tailored to your needs.

If this feels like something you would like to explore further, I warmly invite you to get in touch.