Helen Stephenson
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
I offer a welcoming, confidential and safe place if you are looking for help with difficulties in your life and need to speak to someone beyond your family, friends or work colleagues that you might usually talk to. I love my work with people of all ages and backgrounds and I welcome the opportunity to work with you as you are and with whatever issue you bring to counselling. I am based in Newton St Cyres between Exeter and Crediton. I offer the first session free so you can meet me before deciding to have counselling with me.
I have many years experience working with all ages from children and young people to adults.
I also offer counselling for couples who want help with their relationship or marriage. It may be that you want help because your relationship is in difficulty and you would like to find the way through, or you may be looking for support as you look to strengthen an already good relationship. Please look on my website for more information about couples therapy.
What I can offer you and what to expect in counselling
Thinking about having counselling is a big step and can take a lot of courage. I will listen to you with respect and without judgement, and provide a safe therapeutic relationship where together we can explore your thoughts and feelings to enable you to make the changes you wish to make in your life or situation.
I will support you to understand yourself better and to take more control of how you react and cope with situations, and enable you to feel more resourced for the future.
As your counsellor I can help you find realistic ways forward with areas such as anxiety and depression, workplace stress, family relationships, coping with illness, bereavement or other issues affecting your wellbeing. Please see the list below for other areas for which I offer support.
Counselling for Children and Young People
Being a young person can be really hard work at times, and it’s not a sign of weakness to ask for help when you’re struggling and feel no-one understands you. I can provide a safe place to talk about any issue where you will not be judged or criticised, and help you find ways to manage your worries and begin to enjoy life again. I believe in helping you to understand and take control of your situation, as far as you can, and to make healthy and positive choices about your life.
I have specialist training for young people, including in child protection and safeguarding, and have many years experience in school settings. I have an enhanced DBS certificate.
Please get in touch to find out how I can help and look on my website for more information. It may even be that you as a parent are needing some support yourself.
Making an appointment and charges for counselling
I offer a free initial session, with no further obligation, so we can meet and decide if you would like me to work with you. We can discuss the issues you wish to deal with and arrange further appointments at a time that suits us both. We can do this initial session in person, online or by phone.
My fees are:
Counselling for individuals £55 an hour. I am sometimes able to offer a concessionary rate.
Counselling for couples £55 an hour / £80 for 1 1/2 hours
Practical issues
I offer face to face support as well as online and by phone, whichever is easiest for you. I work from my home in Newton St Cyres between Exeter and Crediton, where I have a dedicated counselling room with an open outlook into the garden. There is easy parking outside and I am close to the bus route from Exeter or Crediton.
Training, qualifications & experience
Counselling Training:
- Advanced Diploma in Integrative Counselling, Safe Space for Counselling/Dartmoor Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy, Devon
- Diploma Children and Young People, National Counselling Society Specialist Training
- Diploma CBT, National Counselling Society Specialist Training
- Diploma in Supervision, National Counselling Society Specialist Training
- Advanced Certificate in Relationship Therapy, COSRT approved training, Juliet Grayson Training
- Certificate in Online and Telephone Counselling, Counselling Tutor
I hold certificates in the following:
- Enhanced DBS
- Level 3 Safeguarding and Child Protection
- Mental Health First Aid
Additional training includes:
- Working online in counselling
- Mental Health First Aid
- Safeguarding and Child Protection
- Trauma
- Working with adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse
- Working with suicidal clients
- Infant loss training for professionals
- Bereavement support for children, young people and families
- Working with clients on the autistic spectrum and other learning difficulties
- Thrive Practitioner training
- Acquired brain injury in childhood
- Cultural and ethnic diversity
- LGBT+
- Domestic violence and abuse
- Working with university/college students
I am committed to developing my professional skills with regular relevant training.
In addition to my private counselling and supervision practice I work in a school providing counselling to children and young people across the full primary, secondary and post-16 age range, and provide specialist support to university students with mental health difficulties.
My original qualification was in teaching with a BEd Hons, and before becoming a counsellor I worked for many years in education with young people with special needs and from many different ethnic backgrounds.
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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
Counselling for Children and Young People
Couples and Relationships
Therapies offered
Fees
£55.00 - £80.00
Free initial in-person, telephone or online session
Concessions offered for
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
I offer the first session free for new clients. From then on my fees are:
£55 - 1 hour for individuals and couples
£80 - 1 1/2 hours for couples
Supervision fees - please see my Supervision profile for details
When I work
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I can offer after school/early evening appointments for young people.
Further information
I am an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and work to their ethical framework. I am insured and have regular supervision in accordance with BACP requirements.
