Archway Health & Wellbeing has expanded its services for mental health in Market Harborough, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire by welcoming another counsellor to its established therapy team.
Helen Campbell of Harborough Young People’s Counselling joined Archway Health & Wellbeing in April. Helen counsels young people between the age of 8 to 24, having worked with children for much of her career. She has a level 7 Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling Children and Young People from the University of Northampton and worked for Relate as a school counsellor prior to coming to Archway, having also been a teacher for almost 20 years.
An established mental health team
Archway Health & Wellbeing has offered counselling services in Harborough for 20 years and now has a team of four therapists qualified to work with adults and children. Psychotherapists Nicola Flinn and Jennifer Clegg work with adult individuals and couples on a range of issues including anxiety, depression and relationships. Jennifer also offers group therapy sessions.
Integrative counselling for children and young people
Working exclusively with young people, Helen joins Lauren Young, an experienced CBT children’s psychotherapist. Lauren is an expert in CBT and also lectures at the University of Northampton. Helen is an integrative counsellor meaning that she uses a variety of approaches including play, creative techniques, talking therapy, CBT and systemic therapy.
Helen, who is a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy comments: “I’m very happy to be joining such an experienced team at Archway. Sadly, it seems that children and young people need more support with their mental health than ever before, and as a result there is an unprecedented pressure on public services, leaving many people seeking support privately.”
The free 20-minute consultation
Like all the counsellors at Archway, Helen offers a free 20-minute consultation to anyone considering counselling. This gives young people and their parents an opportunity to find out more about what therapy involves and to meet their potential counsellor before making a decision
“We are delighted to welcome Helen to our great mental health team,” comments Stella Welton, who owns and runs Archway Health with her husband Alec. “Young people’s mental health is a big issue with all the pressures that they face in the 21st century – and the pandemic certainly hasn’t helped. It’s not always easy to find counsellors trained specifically to work with children and young people so Helen will be a real asset, complementing the service that we already offer via Lauren.”
The impact of the pandemic on mental health
The British Psychological Society (BPS) recently reported that they had seen a 45 percent rise in open referrals over the last two years. The figures, which were released around the time that the UK marked the second anniversary of the first national lockdown, are believed to be higher in part due to the impact of the pandemic on young people.
In addition, three quarters of mental health issues are believed to start before the age of 25, so the BPS is advocating a focus on early intervention and specialist teams to support children and young people.
To find out more or to book a free 20-minute consultation, call Archway Health on 01858 410 820 or email admin@archwayhealth.co.uk.