Kathryn Hellewell

When the same things keep happening, there is usually a reason underneath.

“When I started I had no idea who I was, why I felt the way I did or how to handle the relentless feelings of guilt, sadness, anger and pain. I recognise the person I am today and I am proud of her, it has changed my life for all the right reasons.”

You are probably on this page because you’ve noticed repeating patterns in your life, like relationships that go the same way. Or you experience feelings that can’t be reasoned with, even though they might not make sense, and those feelings are getting in the way.

I won’t offer you a six-session symptom fix. You probably know that’s not what you need, whether you’re experiencing anxiety or another symptom. You suspect already that the way through is to understand what’s at the heart of the way you’re feeling, not to manage around the symptoms.

The work I do is the work of building that understanding, together, at the pace that suits you. I can’t tell you how long it will take. I can tell you that you are never committed beyond the next session you book. It’s not uncommon to want a break to process and come back later. We will move at your pace, going only as far as you want to go.

You might be reading this page because you have a clear place to start. A sexual assault, an accident, challenging relationships or a childhood that left a mark. However, it’s just as common not to be able to put words to why you’re considering counselling. You simply sense that something is wrong — and the usual fixes have stopped working.

I’m here to talk about whatever you need to talk about, including thoughts of self-harm or of not wanting to be here. There is no judgement.

A client wrote to me last year. She said:

“I really need some help unpacking things. I feel ever so sad at the moment and although most things are great in my life, I can’t help but interpret things negatively. I think I have a lot to unpack from my childhood and previous relationships.”

Ten months later, she wrote:

“I can categorically say I am leaving this year in a better place than I entered it. I don’t feel as anxious and being able to mediate my feelings has meant that I have been able to excel at work. I am choosing myself more and have the courage to put healthy boundaries in place.”

This is what I want for you.

My name is Kathryn and I see adults and young people aged fourteen and over. Our time together can be in person at my room in Penn or online. I start wherever you want to start, and then I pull on the threads you offer me. Bit by bit, we build a clearer picture of where the pattern came from and what keeps it going. Humans are not computers; we don’t fix ourselves with a quick reboot. You need the time you need for results that last.

You might not be willing to apply labels like “trauma” to the way you feel. And your situation might not involve trauma. However, we often feel we don’t qualify for a label because things aren’t “as bad” for us as for someone else. The purpose of our work together is not to find a label. The purpose is to address the root of why you’re feeling the way you do, and that work is available to anyone whose life would be better with it.

In person, we’ll meet in my counselling room, a private room in my house, with a parking space for you right outside. The room is comfortable and discreet, and you will not be overlooked or overheard. My dog Rocky will happily sit with you. Some clients love him there. If you would rather he wasn’t, he won’t be offended.

No counsellor’s approach is for everyone. I work on lasting change, not symptom management, but you choose the pace and frequency.

If you would like to talk, the first step is a free twenty-minute call. I will ask you a little about yourself, what has brought you here, and whether you have had counselling before. You are not committing to anything by booking this call. If, after we speak, you feel I am not the right person for you, I will do my best to point you toward someone who might be. If you do go on to book a first session, your only ongoing commitment is to you and the next session you book. 

I trained in therapeutic counselling at Level 4, and I hold a Level 5 diploma in working with rape and sexual abuse in children and young people. Alongside private practice I have worked with adults and teenagers through two charities supporting survivors of sexual harm. More recently I have trained in Internal Family Systems. My continuing professional development concentrates on the territory where this work most often lives: anger that does not make sense to the person carrying it, the ways boys and men come to therapy late and tentatively, and the patterns of relational damage that surface as control or as withdrawal. I am BACP registered, DBS checked and insured.

My counselling room is in the village of Penn, handy for Hazlemere, Beaconsfield, High Wycombe, Holmer Green, Flackwell Heath, Loudwater and surrounding areas. I have a dedicated parking space outside.