Helen Allen

I currently have availability for new clients, mainly in the mornings, and can be flexible with appointment times.

You may be struggling with food, eating or body image, feeling anxious or overwhelmed, finding relationships difficult, or simply knowing that something in your life doesn't feel right. Whatever has brought you here, you don't need to have everything worked out before coming to therapy.

I am an experienced, BACP accredited integrative psychotherapeutic counsellor, working online with adults across the UK. I offer a warm, thoughtful and non-judgemental space where we can make sense of what is happening for you, at a pace that feels manageable.

I have particular expertise in eating disorders and disordered eating, including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, emotional eating, ARFID and difficulties with body image. You don't need to have a diagnosis, or even be sure that you have an eating disorder. You may simply feel that food, weight or thoughts about your body are taking up far more space in your life than you would like.

Alongside my eating disorder work, I work with a wide range of difficulties including anxiety, low self-esteem, relationship problems, loss, life changes and feeling stuck or disconnected from yourself.

My approach is integrative, drawing on different therapeutic approaches so that I can adapt the way I work to you, rather than using a one-size-fits-all model. At the heart of my work is the relationship we build together: feeling heard and understood, and being able to explore difficult things without judgement. Where helpful, I also use psychoeducation and practical strategies to help you understand patterns and begin to make changes.

I see therapy as a collaborative process. I won't sit silently and expect you to do all the talking, and there isn't a 'right' way to be in therapy. I will listen carefully, but I may also ask questions, offer observations, notice patterns with you and gently challenge things when I think that might be helpful.

My integrative training allows me to draw on person-centred, psychodynamic, transactional analysis, CBT and mindfulness-based approaches. This means we can work both with what is happening in your life now and with earlier experiences or patterns that may help us understand why you feel or respond as you do.

When I am working with eating disorders or difficulties around food, eating and body image, therapy may also include psychoeducation and practical support. Understanding what is happening psychologically and physically can be an important part of recovery, and sometimes making sense of a pattern can help to take away some of the shame or self-blame surrounding it.

I don't believe therapy should be one-size-fits-all. Some people want space to explore and understand themselves more deeply; others find it helpful to have something more structured or practical to work with. We can find a way of working that fits you.

I work online, which allows me to see clients throughout the UK. Although we meet through a screen, I place just as much importance on the relationship between us as I would if we were sitting together in a room.

Our first session is a chance for us to explore what has brought you to therapy, what is happening for you now and what you hope might change. You can tell me as much or as little of your story as feels comfortable, and there will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions about me and how I work.

Before our first session, I will ask you to complete an assessment questionnaire and therapy agreement. During the session we may look at relevant background or life events, current relationships and support, and any patterns that seem important. If you are coming with concerns around food, eating or body image, we may also gently explore your eating history, emotional regulation and any relevant medical or professional support you already have in place.

We will talk through practicalities such as confidentiality, session structure and fees, and begin to think together about what you would like from therapy.

I see the first meeting as a two-way process. It gives me an opportunity to understand what you need, but it is equally important that you get a sense of whether I feel like the right therapist for you. There is no obligation to continue, and after the session you can decide whether you would like us to work together.

I currently have availability for new clients, mainly in the mornings, and can be flexible with appointment times.

You may be struggling with food, eating or body image, feeling anxious or overwhelmed, finding relationships difficult, or simply knowing that something in your life doesn't feel right. Whatever has brought you here, you don't need to have everything worked out before coming to therapy.

I am an experienced, BACP accredited integrative psychotherapeutic counsellor, working online with adults across the UK. I offer a warm, thoughtful and non-judgemental space where we can make sense of what is happening for you, at a pace that feels manageable.

I have particular expertise in eating disorders and disordered eating, including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, emotional eating, ARFID and difficulties with body image. You don't need to have a diagnosis, or even be sure that you have an eating disorder. You may simply feel that food, weight or thoughts about your body are taking up far more space in your life than you would like.

Alongside my eating disorder work, I work with a wide range of difficulties including anxiety, low self-esteem, relationship problems, loss, life changes and feeling stuck or disconnected from yourself.

My approach is integrative, drawing on different therapeutic approaches so that I can adapt the way I work to you, rather than using a one-size-fits-all model. At the heart of my work is the relationship we build together: feeling heard and understood, and being able to explore difficult things without judgement. Where helpful, I also use psychoeducation and practical strategies to help you understand patterns and begin to make changes.

I see therapy as a collaborative process. I won't sit silently and expect you to do all the talking, and there isn't a 'right' way to be in therapy. I will listen carefully, but I may also ask questions, offer observations, notice patterns with you and gently challenge things when I think that might be helpful.

My integrative training allows me to draw on person-centred, psychodynamic, transactional analysis, CBT and mindfulness-based approaches. This means we can work both with what is happening in your life now and with earlier experiences or patterns that may help us understand why you feel or respond as you do.

When I am working with eating disorders or difficulties around food, eating and body image, therapy may also include psychoeducation and practical support. Understanding what is happening psychologically and physically can be an important part of recovery, and sometimes making sense of a pattern can help to take away some of the shame or self-blame surrounding it.

I don't believe therapy should be one-size-fits-all. Some people want space to explore and understand themselves more deeply; others find it helpful to have something more structured or practical to work with. We can find a way of working that fits you.

I work online, which allows me to see clients throughout the UK. Although we meet through a screen, I place just as much importance on the relationship between us as I would if we were sitting together in a room.

Our first session is a chance for us to explore what has brought you to therapy, what is happening for you now and what you hope might change. You can tell me as much or as little of your story as feels comfortable, and there will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions about me and how I work.

Before our first session, I will ask you to complete an assessment questionnaire and therapy agreement. During the session we may look at relevant background or life events, current relationships and support, and any patterns that seem important. If you are coming with concerns around food, eating or body image, we may also gently explore your eating history, emotional regulation and any relevant medical or professional support you already have in place.

We will talk through practicalities such as confidentiality, session structure and fees, and begin to think together about what you would like from therapy.

I see the first meeting as a two-way process. It gives me an opportunity to understand what you need, but it is equally important that you get a sense of whether I feel like the right therapist for you. There is no obligation to continue, and after the session you can decide whether you would like us to work together.