Heli Annika Giles, BACP

Heli Annika Giles is a BACP counsellor who works in the United Kingdom. She uses a person-centred, integrative style and draws on several practical approaches to help people who are feeling stuck, overwhelmed or unsure what to do next. She speaks English and Finnish and aims to make the first steps into therapy as straightforward as possible.

Heli focuses on common life stresses such as anxiety, low self-esteem and relationship difficulties. She also supports people dealing with grief, trauma, parenting strain, career worries and compassion fatigue. An additional focus includes ageing and geriatric issues and caregiver stress, so she is familiar with challenges that come with later life and long-term caring roles.

Her sessions are conversational and driven by what each person wants to work on. Heli encourages people to name their goals and to review progress together. She explains thoughts and feelings in simple terms and offers tools to manage day-to-day triggers and painful emotions.

Heli uses methods from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to help shift unhelpful thinking and build small, steady changes. Attachment-based and client-centred ideas shape how she explores relationships and belonging. She also brings existential questions into sessions when people are trying to find meaning or direction.

With three years of experience and membership of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), Heli combines practical coaching with reflective listening. People are invited to choose the topics they want to talk about and to work at a pace that feels manageable. To begin, a short matching questionnaire is used and sessions are scheduled according to availability.

How therapeutic approaches guide online counselling

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them. It focuses on values and small actions that move life in a meaningful direction, which can help with anxiety or low mood. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy looks at the links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours and offers practical exercises to change unhelpful patterns. This can be useful for managing stress, panic or persistent worry.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with the client about what they want to achieve and try different techniques to see what fits. Decisions about methods and goals are collaborative and revisited as progress is reviewed.

If you prefer online sessions, check the current session options before booking since the biography does not list specific formats. Online therapy can make fitting sessions into a busy week easier and reduce travel time. It can also allow for shorter check-ins when schedules are tight, or for audio-only conversations if video is not wanted. Registered or accredited professionals can adapt exercises, homework and conversational therapy to work well at a distance, helping clients build practical skills that transfer into everyday life.