Whether your clients are couples or individuals, if you are a therapist you will be engaged with your clients’ relational and sexual lives. That will be the case even if you don’t actively work with sex or intimacy.
Sexuality and relationships are such fundamental aspects of human existence that they permeate all our interactions, be it with an intimate partner, family, friends or colleagues. Just consider how often relationship issues are a presenting issue in the consulting room.
Yet, despite this central position you’ll probably agree with me that one of the commonly weak areas in the general training of counsellors and psychotherapists is the lack of focus on sex and intimacy. Our profession tends to treat these subjects as separate from all other areas of life and leave it to the sex specialists. While I agree that working with couples and the dynamics of their intimate relationships do require different skills, generally ignoring our sexual and relational nature is to my mind one of the greatest oversights of contemporary training.
"Over the last 20 years I have experienced you when I was a psychotherapy student, later as a course participant and more recently as a supervisee for both professional training and personal development. You have been an inspiring and passionate teacher/coach with a powerful working style that has enhanced my learning, enabled comfortable participation and influenced my way of working. My experience of your work with women was particularly impressive and life changing. The world needs you...."
Sandra K, Snr Psychotherapist & Supervisor
I have more than 25 years’ experience of delivering supervision and specialist training for professionals and over two decades of inquiry and work in the area of gender relations, intimacy and sex. I have come to trust and respect the potency for transformation possible within individuals and couples when these vital aspects are engaged honestly and skillfully.
I am happy to act as a specialist supervisor for your caseload on an ongoing basis or for specialist input on an as-required basis. Whatever your professional needs are in this area of work, I’ll be pleased to discuss them with you and help to support your work in an ethical and professional supervision space. You may also be interested in joining some of the one-day training days or supervision/tutorial groups for professionals. Please see Programmes & Events for further details.
Location & Fees
Since 2022 I only do on-line supervision, unless it forms part of a residential group event at the OBSIDIAN Center here in France. So if you are part of a supervison group and you are looking for some specialist supervison regarding relationships, sex and sexual intimacy, male and female identity or how to support our clients through the current potentially transformational, but often overwhelming, times, please contact me so we can explore the options available.
Combining Pleasure & Knowledge is one of my specialities; - I believe that we are most open to learn, change and exchange ideas and inspiration when relaxed and close to a natural environment. A long week-end or week-long retreat in a small group of 6-10 colleagues at the OBSIDIAN Center, nestling between the river and the forest in a beautiful valley in the deep SW of France where sanity and peace still thrive and the Milky Way is visible on clear dark nights, offers the perfect setting to nourish Body, Mind & Soul and remind you to keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable.....
The current fee per hour is £100. Payment can be cheque on the day or by BACS in advance. Please note I am not able to accept credit cards.
"I have known Helena for sixteen years having participated in numerous trainings facilitated by her and Nick Duffell and I am still receiving supervision from her. Their inspirational and ground-breaking book "Sex, Love and The Dangers of Intimacy" has made a significant contribution to my couple work practice over the years.
"Helena is an outstanding facilitator and supervisor bringing her deeply compassionate, intuitive and warmly supportive self to every venture she embarks on. She draws on her own life experience to develop her own theory as well as keeping up-to date with theoretical developments and recommending useful reading to underpin our practice and understanding of relationship and couple dynamics. I always welcome her suggestions for creative interventions in challenging work and I love her lightness of touch, humour and integrity."
Scilla Alvarado, Senior psychotherapist