As an artist, author and adoptive parent – Helen is our Creative Advisor and also offers a highly valued peer support service to other adoptive parents who are undergoing an intervention programme with our team. Inspired by her own family’s journey through Developmental Trauma, Helen is trained in the Richard Rose model of Therapeutic Life Story work which is a direct, sequential piece of work.

As Richard Rose explains “children and young people can hear difficult things if those speaking with them are confident, caring and informed”. Helen feels privileged to work with traumatised children and their parents/carers and stand alongside them in their journey of discovering their life stories.

Author of ‘Before I Arrive’ – a handbook for adopters’ friends and families, Helen uses her skills as an illustrator and writer, in partnership with her lived experience as an adoptive parent, to convert complex therapeutic concepts into understandable and practical resources.

Many of the resources that Helen has co-created with the Service’s clinical director, Dr Shoshanah Lyons, are down-loadable on our website for parents/carers and professionals to access.

Helen believes learning, development and education are key aspects of supporting families impacted by trauma. She takes pride in her role as training co-ordinator for Beacon House; and she over-sees the running of our new and innovative Training Centre in the Beacon House “Studio”. She enjoys offering training herself on creative communication and life story work; as well as co-training with colleagues in the team on topics related to developmental trauma.

Passionate about supporting families to regulate their young people, Helen is also the creator of Inner World Work (www.innerworldwork.co.uk) where all her resources are available to be downloaded for free.

  • Professional Diploma in Therapeutic Life Story Work
    The Institute for Arts in Therapy & Education, London. December 2018
  • Counselling – CPCAB Level 2 Award
    Northbrook College, Worthing. September 2012 – July 2013
  • The Power of the Senses; Re-building sensory systems and supporting regulation in children impacted by early trauma
    Beacon House Online Training, 6 hours, May 2021
  • Therapeutic Life Story Work creative communication
    Beacon House Inhouse Training, 12th March 2020
  • Self-Care for adoptive parents and our organisation
    Beacon House Inhouse Training, 26th February 2020
  • County Lines and Safeguarding
    Beacon House Inhouse Training, 15th January 2020
  • Angry About Everything: How to connect with the vulnerable young person underneath
    Centre for Child Mental Health, July 2019
  • Emergency First Aid at work
    Tutor Care, 16th July 2019
  • The Dynamic Maturational Model of Attachment across the Lifespan
    Dr Ben Grey, Dept of Attachment Studies, University of Roehampton (one day, May 2019)
  • Advanced Safeguarding Training
    High Speed Training, April 2019
  • Therapeutic Life Story Work CPD Day: Emotional Regulation
    March 2019, Dr Shoshanah Lyons, Clinical Psychologist
  • Sensory Play
    Feb 2019, Ruth Stephens, Occupational Therapist
  • An Introduction to Sensory Attachment Intervention with Éadaoin Bhreathnach
    1 Day Workshop, December 2018
  • The Art of Stress Management with Éadaoin Bhreathnach
    1 Day Workshop, December 2018
  • International Trauma Recovery Summit, Belfast
    27th & 28th June 2018
  • Trauma & Hope
    Beacon House, 2017
  • Dan Hughes Masterclass
    Centre for Emotional Development, October 2016
  • NVR with Peter Jakob
    West Sussex County Council, July 2017