We couldn’t say yes quickly enough when Helen asked if we could use her skills as a volunteer counsellor.
We knew as soon as we met her that she was going to make a huge difference to the people we work with who can wait years for this kind of help. Helen challenged us to think differently about volunteering and how it could be done remotely. The result is we now have an ever growing team of fantastic volunteers and we have Helen to thank for that. She made us giggle during lockdown with her homeschooling timetables and Joe Wicks classes!
Here’s Helen to introduce herself in her own words.
I’ve worked as a quailed English teacher for 16 years, as well as tutoring vulnerable young people and educating Looked After Children. I also teach employability skills to adults. In 2017 I decided to begin training as train as a counsellor so I could continue to support people in a different role as I could see there was a great demand for services that focussed on mental health.
By 2020 I was qualified hypnotherapist and in my final year of training, excited to be working towards my level 4 advanced diploma in psychotherapeutic counselling and my level 5 professional diploma in psychotherapeutic practice. Then suddenly, due to the pandemic, I couldn’t work with clients one to one and I was swamped (like many people) with home schooling and working from home too. That was until I met with the TLC team and everything changed. They arranged for me to undertake counselling with their clients via zoom which was a new way of working for everyone but one that has been really successful. I was delighted to have the opportunity be working with a company that is so person centred and dedicated to supporting and empowering people to take their next steps in life. The team are such a lovely group of people who are talented and caring (although the final interview question about scones was nerve wracking – they have very clear opinions on scones!) and the work they do with clients has been transformational for so many lives.
Over 250 practice hours later, I’m now fully qualified and excited to be taking the next steps in my counselling career. I’ve worked with TLC clients on a wide range of issues, from anxiety and stress to bereavement and confidence building. I have seen first-hand how having a safe and confidential space to explore your feeling allows people to make sense of their situations and feel valued and heard. When I’m working with clients, I take a person-centred approach which integrates aspects of psychotherapy from the humanistic, psychodynamic and behaviourist disciplines. I also incorporate hypnotherapy into my practice where it is appropriate for the client. All of my therapy is underpinned by the needs of the client as an individual and I use methods which are adapted meet these needs and to support clients on their personal therapeutic journey.
So thank you TLC for giving me the opportunity to develop my skills and work with your excellent company!