Heli Annika Giles , BACP

Heli Annika Giles is a qualified integrative therapeutic counsellor who primarily works using a person-centred approach. She is a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), which is the professional body for counsellors in the United Kingdom. She welcomes people at different stages of life and recognises that making the first contact can feel like a significant step - feelings of worry or shame are understandable and she draws on her own experiences to offer empathetic support.

Heli supports people facing a wide range of concerns, from the immediate pressures of the cost-of-living crisis, university or college studies, and work stress, to longer-standing difficulties such as anxiety, relationship problems, low self-esteem and perfectionism, feeling rootless or not fitting in, stress and burnout including career-related issues, and traumatic experiences. She works with general and social anxiety and helps clients explore the origins of their difficulties so they can develop clearer ways of coping.

She believes that with the right support people can find ways to feel better again. Counselling is presented as a process of understanding rather than fixing - helping clients gain clarity, challenge negative thinking patterns, and build practical tools to manage difficult situations. Clients choose the topics they want to explore and set goals for therapy; Heli supports that process and reviews progress together. She also offers relationship-focused work, helping people understand patterns across relationships, establish healthier boundaries, and consider whether individual or couples work is appropriate. Heli seeks to normalise help-seeking for everyone, including men who may find asking for support difficult.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Support

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice thoughts and feelings without getting overwhelmed, and encourages action that aligns with personal values - it can be useful for anxiety, stress, and life changes. Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on patterns formed in early relationships and explores how these affect current connections, making it helpful for relationship difficulties, intimacy issues, and family-related concerns. Client-Centred Therapy emphasises empathetic listening and unconditional acceptance, giving people space to explore feelings, build self-awareness, and regain confidence.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. These methods are commonly used by licensed professionals and therapists, and Heli will work collaboratively with each person to identify what fits best based on their needs, goals, and preferences. She supports clients in experimenting with different ways of working and reviews progress together to shape the direction of therapy.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility - sessions can take place by video call or phone, or through live chat and text-based messaging, allowing people to choose formats that suit their schedule, comfort level, and day-to-day responsibilities. This makes it easier to maintain continuity of care, access support from home or work, and fit therapy into busy or changing lives.