Helen Holbrook

*** THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST, PLEASE ENQUIRE NOW ABOUT  AVAILABILITY COMMENCING JANUARY 2024***

** I always reply to enquiries. Please check your spam folder if you have not heard from me within 48 working hours **

Appointments take place online via Zoom throughout the year, except December.

Appointments are offered weekly, on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 4pm - 8pm. 

There may be some flexibility if you work shifts or irregular hours.

Please telephone or email to leave a message so I can get back to you for an initial chat. Then, if we’d like to try working together, we can book the initial appointment.

Trust and confidence form a crucial part of the important therapeutic relationship, so it is important that you feel you can benefit from talking to me. Choosing whether to continue will always be your choice, and I respect that.

About Me: I am a highly qualified and experienced Bereavement & Loss Counsellor with an established online practice .

I specialise in working with loss and bereavement whatever the reason.

Having personally experienced the traumatic death of a close family member, I understand the shock, pain, isolation caused. I strongly believe that with the right support, it is possible to regain a sense of hope for your future.

Who Do I Work With?

Bereavement: I support adults who have lost someone in any circumstance. Some may have suffered the pain resulting from tragic loss. Some may have lost several people at once, or over time. For others, the passing of a cherished pet can trigger difficult feelings.

In each case, the feelings arising will be individual. There is no 'right' nor 'wrong' way to grieve. There is no 'normal' timeframe for it either. It can be years or even decades before a person decides to seek support.

Loss: After major loss such as a home, a job and/or a relationship, it can feel like there is no hope. Finding someone who can listen non-judgmentally to your story can help.

I can support you now and over time, to rediscover some sense of a 'new normal'.

How I Work: I qualified as an Integrative counsellor, with focus on person-centred talking therapy. As you share your thoughts and feelings confidentially, you will be listened to with respect, compassion and empathy. The cornerstone of this approach is support through non-judgmental active listening. You will feel 'heard' and be encouraged to explore your experience in a safe therapeutic space.

• Specialist Bereavement Counsellor with Cruse Bereavement Care, Oxford

• Sudden and Traumatic Death certificate, Cruse Bereavement Care, Oxford

• AIM Awards Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling

• Level 4 Advanced Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling, Chrysalis

• Universal Safeguarding for Children certificate, Time to Talk/Adviza, Reading

• Youth Counsellor at Time to Talk, Reading

• BA Honours 1st class: European Humanities

• Featured on both local and national BBC Radio.

Next Steps:

To get started, please get in touch by email or telephone. I will respond to voicemails as quickly as I can, so please do leave a message. 

** I always reply to enquiries. Please check your spam folder if you have not heard from me within 48 working hours **

During a free 10-15 minute phone chat we can decide if we want to try working together.

The following initial session may up to 75 minutes.

Weekly sessions lasting 50 minutes will be at a regular day and time each week.

Therapy can be short, medium or long-term. We will agree when you think you will be ready to end our sessions; it will always be your choice.

"I can already feel a weight lifting off me from talking to you" DS

"Things are starting to make a bit more sense" BW

"I feel more normal than I have for years" KA

*** PLEASE ENQUIRE NOW FOR ONLINE AVAILABILITY COMMENCING JANUARY 2023 ***

**NB I always respond to enquiries. Please check your spam folder if you have not heard from me within 48 working hours, thanks **

I offer online appointments via Zoom throughout the year, except December.

Appointments will be weekly, on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday between 4pm - 8pm.

I may offer flexibility if you work shifts or irregular hours.

Please telephone or email and leave a message so I can get back to you for a free initial chat.

Next, if we decide to work together, we can schedule the initial appointment. This will last between 60-75 minutes and cost the same as a regular session - currently £70  

Trust and confidence form a crucial part of the important therapeutic relationship. It is important that you feel a benefit from talking to me. Choosing to continue will always be your choice, and I respect that.

*Please note that in some cases, a medical diagnosis may indicate that other treatments may be more appropriate than counselling. Please ask for more details if in doubt*

All sessions are conducted in English, however if you are a foreign language speaker, I have a working knowledge of several languages including Afrikaans, Dutch, French, Italian and Spanish. Please ask for more details.

I look forward to hearing from you

Client testimonials:

"I can already feel a weight lifting off me from talking to you" DS

"I always feel that you really listen to me” SP

"I feel more normal than I have for years" KA

“Thank you for everything. I feel ready to move on” TK

“It feels like something magical has happened. I didn’t think I could feel this good” MH

Hi, thanks for reading my profile this far, seeking counselling can seem a daunting prospect, but please rest assured that you will be listened to with respect, and without judgement  

Whilst specialising in loss and bereavement counselling for many years, my areas of specialist interest have expanded to include broader issues associated with :

~ Third culture kids - also known as TCK’s

~ Global nomads, including military childhoods

~ Boarding school related issues (syndrome)

~ Loss and separation

~ Loneliness & isolation

~ Anxiety

~ Being bullied

~ Identity crisis

~ cultural difference caused by changing country and/or school

~ guilt and shame

~ imposter syndrome

~ feelings of not being ‘good enough’

Who Do I Work With?

Almost anyone who may wish to benefit from talking around tricky feelings and emotions they feel stuck with. Because almost anyone can feel depressed, lonely, anxious, fearful….

You do not have to put up with things as they are. Counselling has been proven to help up to 85% of those who seek help. The fact is that counselling changes many lives for the better. By reading this far you have already begun your process of seeking help, so why not get in touch? I encourage you to share what bothers you now, and let’s see if we can work together to change how you are feeling  

How I Work: 

I qualified as an Integrative counsellor, with focus on person-centred talking therapy. It means that you will have time and space to think through what is really on your mind, or just out of your conscious awareness. As you begin to connect with your thoughts and feelings, you will be listened to with respect, compassion and empathy. The cornerstone of this approach is support through non-judgmental active listening. You will feel 'heard' and be encouraged to explore your experience in a safe therapeutic space. No subject will be off limits. It is not unusual to start with one thing and work through others. It is all part of your individual situation  

My background is in bereavement and loss with emphasis on supporting those affected by traumatic events. I still practise this way but I find quite often that my clients want to address other areas of their life too. This makes sense knowing that we all have our own stuff going on alongside a bereavement.

It may be that we start addressing one issue and find that the conversation broadens to cover other topics on your mind. This is perfectly normal and a natural part of the therapeutic process. Your therapy is exactly that - your therapy. It will be personally tailored to you and your changing needs.

You will see many highly qualified therapists on this register. Our unique personal background is another key factor that influences how we interact with each client. With me you can be sure that I have a wealth of life experience that enables me to empathise and understand a wide range of presenting issues.

I qualified as an Integrative counsellor, with focus on person-centred talking therapy. This means that you will be encouraged to talk about what bothers you and you will have the space to think things through. I employ a range of empathic and supportive techniques to help you with this as part of my integrated approach.

Specialist training:

Boarding School syndrome Certification

Specialist Bereavement Counsellor with Cruse Bereavement Care, Oxford

Sudden and Traumatic Death certificate, Cruse Bereavement Care, Oxford

AIM Awards Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling

Level 4 Advanced Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling, Chrysalis

Universal Safeguarding for Children certificate, Time to Talk/Adviza, Reading

Youth Counsellor at Time to Talk, Reading

BA Honours 1st class: European Humanities

Featured on both local and national BBC Radio.

**Let’s chat now to see if I may help. I look forward to hearing from you**

To get started, please get in touch by email or telephone. I will respond to voicemails as quickly as I can, typically within 48 hours, so please do leave a message.

**NB I always respond to enquiries. Please check your spam folder if you have not heard from me within 48 working hours **

During a free 10-15 minute phone chat we can decide if we want to try working together.

The initial session may last between 60-75 minutes. It will cost £70, the current weekly rate. It can take a bit longer than usual because we may complete a brief assessment of your basic details, and relevant medical history.

I will send you a copy of our counselling agreement that sets out how we will work together. This is not a contract but more for your information.

Our sessions last 50 minutes, and will be scheduled for a regular day and time each week via Zoom. I try to offer alternative appointments in the same week where possible, but cannot guarantee this.

Therapy can be short, medium or long-term. We will agree when you think you will be ready to end our sessions; it will always be your choice.

All information you share will be stored securely and eventually destroyed  within current ICO and/or BACP guidelines.

In line with safeguarding regulations any information you share during therapy will be kept strictly confidential unless you or someone else is or may be placed at risk.

Why not drop me a line now? I look forward to hearing from you

* Please enquire now for online availability starting January 2024 *

I offer Online and/or telephone appointments throughout the year, except December.

Our appointments will be weekly, on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday between 4pm - 8pm.

I try to be flexible if you work shifts or irregular hours.

Please telephone or email me, and leave a message so I can get back to you for a free no-obligation initial chat.

Next, if we decide to work together, we can schedule the initial appointment. This will last between 60-75 minutes and cost the same as a regular session - currently £70.

**NB I always respond to enquiries. Please check your spam folder if you have not heard from me within 48 working hours, thanks **

Trust and confidence form a crucial part of the important therapeutic relationship. It is important that you feel a benefit from talking to me. Choosing to continue will always be your choice, and I respect that.

Sessions are conducted in English, however if you are a foreign language speaker I may be able to help. I have a working knowledge of several languages including  Afrikaans, Dutch, French, Italian and Spanish. Please ask for more details.

I look forward to hearing from you

Client testimonials:

"I can already feel a weight lifting off me from talking to you" DS

"I always feel that you really listen to me” SP

"I feel more normal than I have for years" KA

“Thank you for everything. I feel ready to move on” TK

“It feels like something magical has happened. I didn’t think I could feel this good” MH

I am a highly qualified and experienced  Counsellor with an established online/telephone practice, working from Henley on Thames. 

Though specialising in loss and bereavement counselling for many years, my areas of specialist interest have expanded to include issues associated with :

~ Third culture kids - also known as TCK’s

~ Global nomads, including military childhoods 

~ Boarding school issues (syndrome)

~ Loss and separation 

~ Loneliness & isolation 

~ Anxiety

~ Being bullied

~ Identity crisis

~ cultural difference caused by changing country and/or school

~ guilt and shame

~ imposter syndrome

~ feelings of not being ‘good enough’ 

Who Do I Work With?

Almost anyone who may wish to benefit from talking around tricky feelings and emotions they feel stuck with. Almost anyone can feel depressed, lonely, anxious, fearful… 

You do not have to put up with things as they are. Counselling has been proven to help up to 85% of those who seek help. The fact is that counselling changes lives for the better. By reading this far you have already begun your process of seeking help, so why not get in touch? I encourage you to share what bothers you now, and let’s see if we can help you to feel better about it.

*Please note that in some cases, a medical diagnosis may indicate that other treatments may be more appropriate. Please ask for more details if in doubt*

How I Work: I qualified as an Integrative counsellor, with focus on person-centred talking therapy. That’s the technical bit over!  As you voice your thoughts and feelings, you will be listened to with respect, compassion and empathy. The cornerstone of this approach is support through non-judgmental active listening. You will feel 'heard' and be encouraged to explore your experience in a safe therapeutic space. No subject will be off limits. Let’s chat about things now to see if I may help.

I look forward to hearing from you 

It may be that we start addressing one issue and find that the conversation broadens to cover other topics on your mind. This is perfectly normal and a natural part of the therapeutic process. Your therapy is exactly that - your therapy. It will be personally tailored to you and your changing needs. 

You will see many highly qualified therapists on this register. What is not so obvious is the personal background experience of each of us, but it is an important factor that influences how we interact with each client. With me you can be sure that I have a wealth of life experience that enables me to empathise and understand a wide range of presenting issues.

Specialist training:

Boarding School syndrome Certification 

Specialist Bereavement Counsellor with Cruse Bereavement Care, Oxford

Sudden and Traumatic Death certificate, Cruse Bereavement Care, Oxford

AIM Awards Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling

Level 4 Advanced Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling, Chrysalis

Universal Safeguarding for Children certificate, Time to Talk/Adviza, Reading

Youth Counsellor at Time to Talk, Reading

BA Honours 1st class: European Humanities

Featured on both local and national BBC Radio.

To get started, please get in touch by email or telephone.. I will respond to voicemails as quickly as I can, typically within 48 hours, so please do leave a message.

**NB I always respond to enquiries. Please check your spam folder if you have not heard from me within 48 working hours **

During a free 10-15 minute phone chat we can decide if we want to try working together.

The initial session may last between 60-75 minutes. It will cost £70, the current weekly rate.

I will send you a copy of our counselling agreement that sets out how we will work together. This is not a contract but more for your information.

Our sessions last 50 minutes, and will be scheduled for a regular day and time each week via Zoom , or telephone if you prefer. I try to offer alternative appointments in the same week where possible, but cannot guarantee this.

Therapy can be short, medium or long-term. We will agree when you think you will be ready to end our sessions; it will always be your choice.

I look forward to hearing from you