Dr Helen Damon

"[One] who has a why to live for can withstand almost any how" - Friedrich Nietzche

As an existentialist, I believe being human presents us with big questions and challenges about the meaning of our life, especially in relation to our death, and about navigating our capacity to act in relation to the limits of what we can know and control. I value opportunities to work with people engaging with these fundamental questions.

As a person-centred therapist, I believe humans have an innate tendency towards self-actualisation; we strive to live authentically and meaningfully. I value opportunities to support people in living their best lives. Working with people in this way is authentic for me and something I find profoundly meaningful.

I can support you to:

Build a positive relationship with yourself

Do you feel, or have you been told, that you’re somehow unacceptable or not living as you “should”? Are you a “people-pleaser” who fears others’ judgement? Perhaps you’ve experienced criticism, doubt, or disapproval that’s left you feeling guilty, ashamed, or disconnected from parts of yourself.

We can work together to identify and challenge critical thoughts and feelings that don’t serve you. I’ll support you to recognise, express, and assert your own thoughts, feelings, needs, and boundaries. We can cultivate an internal sense of your inherent worth, enabling you to treat yourself with compassion and respect. From this foundation, you can then constructively challenge yourself to explore new ways of being.

Process and navigate loss, change, and big decisions

Have you experienced, or are you anticipating, a significant loss, change, or decision? Perhaps someone in your life has died, or you’re contemplating the meaning of life in relation to death. Perhaps you’re navigating a change in your relationship status or career, wondering or worried about the next stage of your life, or at a crossroads and uncertain how to proceed.

You can speak freely about your experience with me. We’ll take time to honour its significance and understand how it’s affecting you and your sense of self. I’ll support you to disentangle yourself from external expectations and narratives that don’t serve you, and identify how to live authentically in relation to this experience.

Identify your personal values to live authentically and meaningfully

Are you questioning who you are, what matters to you, or what gives your life meaning? Perhaps you’re feeling stuck or unfulfilled, or living at odds with your values.

I’ll support you to identify your core personal values and challenge inherited values that don’t serve you. We’ll use these values to make sense of feelings of stuckness, meaninglessness, and conflict, and to guide your decisions and actions. This will foster flourishing across all areas of your life, enabling you to live as authentically and meaningfully as possible.

We’ll work collaboratively, engaging in an open and exploratory discussion in response to the topics you raise. We’ll follow and examine the thoughts, feelings, and memories that emerge for you, identifying links and patterns between them.

This approach enables a deep understanding of the roots of your experience; how your past echoes in your present and may limit your future. Equipped with this understanding, we’ll identify positive changes for you to make in all areas of your life. My ultimate aim is to effect lifelong change by enabling you to become your own therapist – to be able to apply the insight and skills developed in our work to maintain your own psychological wellbeing.

Are you the right therapist for me?

The right therapist for you should feel safe and, I believe, also constructively challenging. They should support you to deepen and extend your self-knowledge and make positive changes in your life.

To ensure you feel safe, I’ll meet you with warmth, empathy, and the utmost respect. I’ll regularly check in with you and welcome your feedback about how you’re experiencing our work.

To ensure you feel constructively challenged, I’ll actively raise thoughts, questions, interpretations and different perspectives about the topics you bring.

I’m not a “blank slate” sort of therapist: I'm naturally expressive and "talk with my hands". I’ll use imagery, metaphor, and humour (where appropriate) to express myself clearly and help us develop new ways of understanding your experiences.

How long will we work together?

You can work with me for as long as feels helpful for you. Most people choose to work with me for at least three months, up to a year or more. Therapy is an investment in yourself and an act of self-care, so please take all the time you need.

I specialise in long-term, relational therapy, as I believe lasting change comes from working at depth—getting to the heart and roots of what’s troubling you, rather than focusing only on surface-level symptoms.

What’s my next step?

Please complete the Initial Enquiry Form on my website (https://www.drhelendamon.com/contact) or email me with any questions ([email protected]). We can then book a free Zoom call to discuss working together in more detail. I look forward to hearing from you!

Deep teal