Helen Baker Eclectic Counselling & Coaching: growth through connection

18/12/2025

The practice is now closed until January 7th. Thank you everyone for making 2025 so successful. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

15/12/2025

29/11/2025

For years I have been frightened of using canva, these past weeks I have been teaching myself how to use it, yep my mind was limiting me.

10/07/2025

Day 4 of my month long practice at the office. Dedicating ten minutes of painting time - its meant to be each time I come to the practice but I tend to forget so it ends up one paint session per week. Today I painted red, gold and white. It's still just some layers but there are bits im loving. I also can't get enough gold. Alchemy is happening - I hope.

26/06/2025

Earlier this year I was asked a question from a counselling client? What else do you offer? I found myself telling them about an idea that was forming for an 8 week group. Last night we finished, through the time together we painted layer upon layer of our painting. The final layer, our wings. We meditated weekly, discussed spheres of wellness and intuitively created our beautiful wings, each painting very different and very meaningful to each of us.
If you are interested in going on the wait list for the next round of the creative frequency group and painting your own wings please let me know.

30/05/2025

Lately I have been using mandalas in sessions to help explore thoughts and feelings. They are often used to explore our inner worlds, promote balance and engage mindfulness.

Creating mandalas gives us freedom and power. The colours we use, the emotions we express, the ability to observe ourselves and self reflect.

I've been adding symbols to mine as it enables strengthening of the message on the page. Psychologist Carl Jung believed that mandalas assisted with bringing the sub conscious thoughts to the conscious therefore making them visible.
This activity is a favourite of mine and often really fun.

08/05/2025

Today I Played with funky fish and paint pens. What do you think is going on in this card? Are they fighting, playing or hugging or something else?

Today's adventure included discussing about feelings, big and small without judgement. The gingerbread man shows my interpretation of the card. Such fun with funky fish today.

03/05/2025

Do you have a meditation practice? Is it daily, weekly or whenever you think about it? Do you know there are health benefits associated with meditation. Including reducing stress, improved memory and concentration also improved emotional well being. I have had a daily meditation practice for over five years now. I credit my more calmer attitude to meditation. Could meditation be of benefit to you?
There are a variety of apps you can use for your practice. Some are fee others are fee for service. If you are interested in starting a practice they are worth looking at. I would be lost without my insight timer app. I would be interested in hearing about other apps you use.

03/04/2025

One of the things I love offering is expressive and playful therapies. I have so much fun with clients learning about themselves through cards, bubbles, sand, symbols and movement. Working with fairy tales is also a favourite thing to do.

23/03/2025

It's been a hot minute since I've been here. Lots has happened since I last checked in. I've been to Sydney, Bruny Island, had fun at psychodrama and participated in two days of learning about trauma with Bessel van der Kolk. In reflecting on all of these things I'm taking away gratitude for all the experiences in my life. The positive and not so positive.
I'm also taking away the lesson that if we keep wanting to use old ways of knowing then then new ways of being cant establish themselves.

I'm so looking forward to offering new skills, new learnings and new tools with you at the practice.

10/03/2025

I often speak about our tool boxes and what's in them that we can access during the tough times. A couple of the things in my tool box are meditation and journaling. Meditation helps to calm the monkey mind while journaling helps to get stuff out of my head / body and onto the pages. I'm a lot calmer these days as a result of this practice.