Helen Downs, NCPS
Helen Downs helps people who are struggling with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, low self-esteem, grief and mood difficulties such as depression and bipolar.
About Helen
Helen Downs helps people who are struggling with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, low self-esteem, grief and mood difficulties such as depression and bipolar. She also supports concerns around intimacy, relationship and family tensions, parenting strain, sleeping and eating problems, and work-related stress. Helen works with people managing ADHD, compassion fatigue and a wide range of other overlapping issues.
Her style is warm and respectful. She aims to listen first and work at a pace that suits each person.
Background and approach
Helen uses straightforward conversations to help people clarify what matters to them and find practical steps forward. Helen draws on a mix of therapies to match different needs.
She uses Client-Centred ways of working to follow a person’s lead, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or CBT for thinking and behaviour patterns, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy or DBT skills for managing intense emotions, and hypnotherapy where appropriate. She also brings psychodynamic ideas to understand longer-term patterns from life history. Her background includes seven years working as a hypnotherapist alongside other professional roles.
She has experience supporting neurodiverse people and has worked in prison settings where mental health, addiction and diversity issues often overlap with family concerns. Helen aims to treat people with sensitivity and respect while helping them move toward practical change. People who choose to work with her can expect collaborative sessions that combine listening with clear tools and small goals.
She invites each person to shape the process so therapy fits their life.
Registration
| Body | Registration number | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| NCPS | NCS17-05141 | June 2026 |
Registration details are as listed on the counsellor's public profile. You can check any number with the registering body.
Sessions and payment
Sessions are held online through our partner platform, by video, phone or messaging depending on the counsellor.
Costs are shown on the partner platform before you commit. If cost is a concern, ask about reduced-fee options.
Focus areas and approaches
What Helen works with
Everything Helen lists, in their own terms.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Trauma and abuse
- Self esteem
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Antisocial personality
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Avoidant personality
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Dependent personality
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- Emptiness
- Family problems
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexual dysfunction
- Sexuality
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Helen lists
- Client-Centred Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
- Hypnotherapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each counsellor names and does not check training records.
Online support
She also draws on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or CBT to identify unhelpful thinking and behaviour patterns and introduce concrete techniques for change. CBT is useful for anxiety, low mood, sleep and many everyday difficulties. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy or DBT offers skills for regulating intense emotions and improving tolerance of distress, which helps when feelings feel overwhelming.
Choosing the right approach is part of the therapy process. Helen works together with each person to test what fits their needs and preferences, and she adapts methods as work progresses so the plan stays relevant and useful.
Online work uses video calls, phone sessions, live chat and ongoing text-based messaging. Video calls let people talk face to face, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited, live chat fits shorter check-ins and messaging supports ongoing contact between sessions. These options add flexibility so therapy can fit around work, caregiving or travel needs.
Frequently asked
What kinds of problems does Helen work with?
She supports stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma, depression and bipolar, plus relationship, family, parenting and intimacy-related concerns and many overlapping issues.
How would you describe her approach in sessions?
Her approach is person-centred and collaborative, combining listening with practical tools and strategies tailored to each person.
What is her professional background?
She has seven years’ experience as a hypnotherapist alongside other clinical work and has worked in prison settings and with neurodiverse people.
Where is she based and what credential does she hold?
She practises in the United Kingdom and holds an NCPS credential as supplied in her profile.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients.
What formats are available for sessions?
Helen offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging to suit different needs and schedules.
How are sessions paid for and what does it cost?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin if I want to work with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.
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