Helen Baker Eclectic Counselling & Coaching: growth through connection

13/08/2026

Places are filling fast for this one day workshop hosted by Yvonne and myself. If you are interested in attending or have any questions please call or DM me.

I am a mental health social worker who loves working with dialectical behavior therapy and expressive therapies. My practice focuses on assisting you to build skills for life transitions, emotional regulation and resilience.

06/08/2026

The Symbolism of the Nest 🪺

Today at the practice we have created nests to explore big feelings and safety. I had so much fun creating my nest.

A nest is far more than a collection of twigs and leaves. Across cultures, it represents safety, nurturing, belonging, and a place where life can be gently held until it is ready to grow.

In expressive therapies, a nest can become a powerful symbol for our inner emotional world. Just as a bird carefully gathers materials to create a secure home, we can gather the resources, skills, and supports that help us safely hold our feelings. Big emotions don't need to be pushed away or fixed immediately—they need a place where they can be acknowledged, contained, and cared for.

Creating a nest through art or natural materials offers a calming, hands-on experience that gently engages the nervous system. As you weave, arrange, and build, you are also creating an external container for your internal experiences. The process encourages mindfulness, creativity, emotional regulation, and self-compassion while providing a tangible reminder that difficult feelings can be held safely rather than carried alone.

Sometimes healing begins not by finding all the answers, but by creating a safe place where our feelings can simply rest.

"Every feeling deserves a nest." 🪺💛

29/07/2026

Symbols become the language of the soul.

I purchased these beauties today @ Salvos Castlemaine.

Have you ever wondered why you're drawn to a particular image, colour or object?

In sand tray therapy and psychotherapy, symbols become the language of the soul. Sometimes our deepest thoughts, emotions and experiences are difficult to put into words, but they can be expressed through the symbols we choose.

A bridge might represent hope. A tree might symbolise strength and growth. A butterfly may reflect transformation. For someone else, those same symbols may hold completely different meanings—and that's the beauty of symbolic work. The meaning always belongs to the person creating it.

In sand tray therapy, people create scenes using miniature figures and objects to represent their inner world. These symbols help bring hidden feelings, memories, strengths and possibilities into awareness in a way that feels safe, gentle and often surprisingly powerful.

We don't interpret symbols for people. Instead, we become curious together:
✨ What does this mean to you?
✨ What does this part of the scene represent?
✨ What might this symbol be trying to tell you?

Symbols can often express what words cannot.

Whether through sand tray, art, storytelling or nature, symbolic work invites us to slow down, reflect and discover new insights about ourselves. Sometimes healing begins not with finding the right words, but with finding the right symbol.

💛 Healing isn't always spoken—it is often seen, felt and created.

24/07/2026

Cheerleading ourselves and the difference it makes

Have you ever noticed how your mind seems to follow the same path over and over again?

Imagine you're walking through a forest. Every time you choose the same track, it becomes a little clearer. The grass flattens, the branches move aside, and before long it's the easiest path to take.

Our brains work much the same way.

For many of us, the well-worn path sounds like:
*"I'm not good enough."*
*"I always get this wrong."*
*"I can't cope."*

The more often we walk that path, the easier it becomes for our brain to find it—even when we don't want it to.

One of the beautiful skills taught in DBT is called **cheerleading**. It's not about pretending everything is wonderful or forcing ourselves to "think positive." It's about gently encouraging ourselves in the same way we would encourage someone we love.

*"This is hard... and I can take the next step."*
*"I've survived difficult days before."*
*"I don't have to do this perfectly."*
*"Keep going—you've got this."*

Every time we choose one of these compassionate statements, we're stepping onto a different path. At first it's overgrown and unfamiliar. It feels awkward. Sometimes it doesn't even feel true.

But every time we walk it, we clear a little more of the way.

Slowly, our brain begins to recognise this new path as a safe place to travel. This is the incredible gift of neuroplasticity—the brain's ability to grow and change throughout our lives.

Healing isn't about erasing the old paths. It's about creating new ones that lead us towards hope, self-compassion, and resilience.

So today, if your inner critic is loud, try becoming your own cheerleader instead.

One kind sentence to yourself might be the first step on a brand-new path. 🌿🦋🌈

09/07/2026

Creativity and symbols were the focus of today's session.

What you don't see in this picture is the journey behind its creation. Together, my client and I explored colours, experimented with different art mediums, shared stories, reflected, and simply allowed the creative process to unfold.

This was a true co-creation.

As the session progressed, a symbol began to emerge—one that came to represent the many colours, layers, and facets of our time together. It wasn't something that was planned or interpreted for my client; rather, it evolved naturally through curiosity, creativity, and connection.

One of the beautiful aspects of expressive therapies is that the process is often just as meaningful as the finished piece. Sometimes the deepest insights come not from what we create, but from how we create it.

Every symbol tells a story, and every story is unique to the person who creates it.

Shared with permission.

02/07/2026

My friend and colleague Yvonne will be running a workshop @ HBECC on September 12th 2026. Im co facilitating. It will bring together years of skills and practice she has developed to bring her to the now and now is right on time.
It focuses on caring for your nervous system. Using tried and true ways of regulation.
We would love to welcome you to this exciting 1 day workshop.

28/06/2026

Just a little check in to see how your weekend is going? I myself have nothing left in the tank. Im depleted after what feels like a big couple of months. Ive drained the tank which isnt ideal. So this weekend ive been kind to myself. Gentle pool exercise, hanging out with family, watching a movie and some small admin tasks.
How do you get over the depletion exhaustion?

26/06/2026

Comming to HBECC in September a 1 day workshop encouraging the calming of your nervous system. Guest facilitator lead. More details to follow, so save the date if you are interested in learning practical ways to calm your body and mind.
Let me know if this interests you and I will put you on the invite list.

24/06/2026

**So What's In Your Toolbox?**

I've been thinking lately about our toolboxes and what we have in them to help us through hard times.

I often tell people that we all have a toolbox, but when we need it most, we forget it's there.

For the past six years, I've been grappling with a problem. At times it felt overwhelming, frustrating and exhausting. Yesterday was D-Day. It was either going to explode or end in victory.

Getting to that moment required every skill I had, especially in recent months. Looking back, I can see exactly what was in my toolbox.

**Mindfulness**

* Kept me focused on the goal.
* Helped me stay in Rational Mind rather than Emotion Mind.
* Allowed me to remain calm and grounded.
* Helped me focus on the facts instead of becoming caught up in a victim story.

**Distress Tolerance**

* Using self-soothing strategies.
* Mindfully engaging my senses.
* Riding the waves of uncertainty without making things worse.

**Interpersonal Effectiveness**

* Using DEAR MAN to be clear about what I wanted.
* Staying focused on my objectives.
* Negotiating where needed.
* Communicating respectfully and effectively.

And yesterday, on the way to the final discussion, I reached even deeper into my toolbox.

I used:

* Cheerleading myself.
* Havening Techniques to regulate my nervous system and stay present.
* Mindful awareness of my emotions throughout the conversation.
* Respect, gratitude and full engagement in the process.

What struck me most was not the outcome itself, but recognising how far I've come.

Five years ago, I may have approached this very differently. Yesterday, my Wise Mind led the way.

The skills I've practised for years were there when I needed them. And now Havening has become another valuable tool in my toolbox.

It's been a long journey, but yesterday reminded me that growth happens one skill, one choice and one moment at a time.

Today I'm feeling incredibly proud of myself—not just for the outcome, but for how I managed myself along the way.

What is in your toolbox? And when was the last time you remembered to use it?

15/06/2026

Im talking to a lot of people currently who are experiencing change. Jobs, life transitions and/ or learning new skills. The thing that keeps comming up is the messiness, how hard they are finding managing this time. At the end of the challenges though we experience growth. New muscles developed, new windows of tolerance established and new knowledge about ourselves.