Integrative & Play Psychotherapy

Helen Critchley

Helen is an Integrative and Play Psychotherapist with over 15 years' experience supporting children, young people and families across education, community services and NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) both in crisis and community teams.

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Helen offers Play Therapy, Integrative Psychotherapy, Counselling, Parent Formulation and Guidance, and Professional Consultation. She enjoys supporting children and young people to find healing and helping parents better understand their child's emotional world and supporting schools and professionals to develop psychologically informed approaches that promote children's wellbeing.

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Helen has extensive experience supporting children and young people experiencing anxiety, panic attacks, depression, trauma, abuse, low self-esteem, emotional regulation difficulties, bullying, eating difficulties, anger, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), neurodiversity including autism and ADHD, self-harm, school-related challenges, family difficulties and many other emotional and mental health concerns.

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After qualifying as a psychotherapist for Children and Young People, Helen continued her specialist postgraduate training in Play Therapy, recognising that thoughts and feelings can be communicated through creativity rather than words alone. Thanks to her extensive training she is able to offer play therapy from ages 5-18. She has also achieved professional accreditation with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), recognising her commitment to delivering safe, ethical and high-quality practice. Alongside her private practice, Helen engages in regular continuing professional development (CPD), ensuring her work remains informed by current evidence, best practice and ongoing clinical experience.

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Helen believes that every child deserves a safe, accepting and compassionate space where they can feel understood. She works collaboratively with children, young people and their families, adapting therapy to each individual's developmental stage, personality and unique experiences. Her approach is integrative, drawing on attachment theory, trauma-informed practice, person-centred principles and CBT-informed interventions, alongside creative approaches including play, art, sand tray and therapeutic storytelling.

Helen is passionate about building trusting therapeutic relationships where children and young people feel able to explore their emotions at their own pace, helping them develop resilience, confidence and a greater understanding of themselves.

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Appointments are currently offered in person at the clinic on Friday mornings or online more flexibly.