Helen Siddall

Vegan Psychotherapist

Hello, I’m Helen, a UK qualified and BACP registered Psychotherapist and Counsellor at Lazuli Online Psychotherapy and Counselling, working with English-speaking adults across Spain, Europe and the UK.

If you feel like nobody listens to you; together we’ll work to find your voice, so you can confidently express your needs to others.

If ‘hopeless’ or ‘useless’ are words you sometimes use to describe yourself; we’ll see where those messages came from, and whether you still need them in your life, so that you can change the way you see yourself.

If being overwhelmed by anxiety is usual for you; we’ll look at why the anxiety might be there, and practice techniques to overcome it, so you can feel more relaxed, more often.

If you feel tired and sensitive a lot of the time; we’ll work to put in boundaries to manage your energy, so you are more able to do the things that you want to do, when you want to do them.

You may be one of the 15-20% of the population who are highly sensitive; if so I have experience and expertise in this area… find out more in my blogs.

Services

I work online with individual adults offering professional Psychotherapy and Counselling. You can find out more about what this means here.

How does individual therapy work?

Therapy is different for everyone, so there isn’t one right answer to this, but the research shows that much of the success of therapy is down to the relationship between client and therapist, regardless of the way of working. That’s why I try and tailor what we do to your specific needs, and that might change as the work progresses.

Therapy is a safe space for you to talk about things that are troubling you. We might look at techniques or strategies that can help you in everyday life, and we will also look at where those issues might have originated; what messages you have heard about yourself, and about the world, and whether they are useful for you now.

Sometimes, the process can be difficult. I am experienced at working with trauma, and will always try and ensure that we go at a manageable pace, so that you stay safe.

How frequent are the sessions?

To start with, many people find that weekly sessions work best. If things are particularly hard, it might be appropriate to see each other twice a week. Depending on how you feel, and as the work progresses, you might decide that fortnightly sessions are enough, and many people move to monthly for a while before ending therapy.

Sometimes people have a group of sessions, then a break, and then return for another period of time; this is particularly useful for longer-term difficulties or trauma, when you might need to manage how much work you can do at one time.

Do I keep the same day/time

I offer online scheduling, where you can choose your preferred date and time, and pay online to secure the session. If you need to secure a particular slot, you can book up to a month in advance.

How long does therapy take?

Each session lasts 55 minutes. You are in charge of how many sessions you have, over what time period, and it will depend on your needs and circumstances. We will regularly review how things are going and how you are feeling about the work we are doing, and make any adjustments necessary.

How can I book a session?

You can contact me by WhatsApp message or email. If I’m with clients, I won’t answer you immediately, but I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

I will send you a link from my automated system with my booking and payment link, contract and an information form for you to complete before we meet.

Once you have booked and paid for the session, I will send you the Zoom link, usually within 48 hours of booking.

When are sessions available?

Sessions are available Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning.

I have 55 minute sessions starting at 9.30am, 11.00am, 12.30pm, 2.30pm, 4.00pm and 6.30pm CET (Central European Time) on Monday and Tuesday, and 9.30am and 11.00am on Wednesday.

As sessions get booked by clients they are removed from the booking site, so you will only see the times I have available.

How do I pay for therapy sessions?

Payment in Euros is made during the online booking process using a credit or debit card. I use the Stripe payment processing system which means you can use credit or debit cards from currencies other than euros e.g. Stirling if necessary.

If you need to change your appointment, you will need to contact me, and the payment you have made will be allocated to the new date/time.

If you need to cancel the booking completely and do so outside of the 24-hour cancellation period, I will process the refund once the payment has cleared in my account, which is usually 7-10 days.

What online system do I use?

I use Zoom for our online sessions. When I receive notification of your booking and payment, I send you a Zoom link, in plenty of time for our session.

What are my qualifications?

I trained at the University of Leeds, in the UK, gaining a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychotherapy and Counselling, and undertake continuous professional development (CPD). I am a member of the British Association of Psychotherapy and Counselling (BACP). I am registered self-employed here in Spain, am fully insured, and have been running my successful private practice from Spain since 2016.

What is the 24 hour cancellation policy?

If you are unable to attend your session for any reason, cancellation more than 24 hours in advance of the session is not charged.

If you cancel within 24 hours, the full fee is payable