Imagine actually feeling better,
not just coping better.
I'm Helen Billows — a registered psychologist based in Adelaide, South Australia.
I'm an Adelaide Hills local. If you see me around, I'm probably drinking my eighth coffee for the day, or taking my toddler to the playground.
I came to trauma work through my early career in alcohol and other drug services, where almost everyone I worked with had a significant trauma history driving their problems. Teaching people to cope with the surface problem while ignoring what was underneath it didn't sit right with me. That's what led me to EMDR in 2018 — and it's been the focus of my work ever since.
I've dedicated myself to staying at the front of this field. This includes specialised trauma and EMDR education, eight years of university study, and a Master of Clinical Psychology completed with a perfect GPA.
I'm a member of the EMDR Association of Australia (EMDRAA) and EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) — two of the peak bodies for EMDR internationally. I hold consultant accreditation through EMDRAA, one of the highest levels of EMDR credentialling available in Australia. Fewer than ten psychologists in South Australia possess this level of qualification, and I'm one of them. Since 2025 I've also been selected by national EMDR training providers to assist in delivering training programs across Australia.
I'm a trauma therapist with a strong EMDR focus. To date, I've delivered over 7,000 EMDR sessions. This is my entire clinical focus, not a side interest. I also host The Trauma Nerd podcast, where I provide trauma education and thought leadership.
I'm not interested in staying on the surface and teaching you to cope. I want to help you feel genuinely better, not just function better.
7,000+ sessions delivered. Trauma, PTSD, complex trauma, and personality disorders. This is focused work, not generalist practice.
Registered Psychologist. Registered with the Psychology Board of Australia since 2018.
EMDRAA-Accredited EMDR Therapist and Consultant. A level of accreditation held by a small number of psychologists nationally.
EMDR Training Facilitator. One of a small number of psychologists selected by national training providers Psychology Training and EMDR Therapy Training Australia to help deliver EMDR training programs across Australia.
Eight years of university training. Including a Master of Clinical Psychology, an advanced clinical postgraduate qualification, completed with a perfect GPA.
PSYBA-Approved Psychology Supervisor. Approved by the Psychology Board of Australia to provide formal supervision to psychologists.
In South Australia, only a handful of psychologists hold consultant accreditation, and even fewer are selected to facilitate at EMDR trainings.
Working with the Root Cause
Most people who find me have already done some form of therapy, and it helped, to a point.
They understood themselves better. They have real insight into their patterns and their history.
But insight doesn't heal wounds.
The body stays stuck regardless of how well you can explain it.
That's not a failure of the person, and it's not a failure of the therapy. It's often a sign the work hasn't reached the source of the problem yet.
When it does, people might notice they are thinking differently. That situations which used to derail them no longer do. That they feel like themselves in a way they haven't in years, or possibly ever.
That's what trauma-focused work is supposed to do, and that's the standard I hold my work to.
How I work
Therapy with me is collaborative, practical, and grounded in the research. I bring clinical rigour and honesty to every session — including being willing to name when something isn't working and change direction.
I bring my full self to sessions — curious, compassionate, cheeky, a bit sweary, and always in your corner.
Once we've finished assessment and have a treatment plan in place, I'm not a so, tell me about your week? therapist — I'm a ready to do more EMDR today? therapist.
There's always room for what you need to bring, but the goal stays the same. I want you to feel genuinely better, not just cope more efficiently.
What to expect
I won't waste your time. Sessions are purposeful, the treatment plan is clear, and I'll tell you when I think we need to change approach.
I'm persistent (stubborn, even). Trauma work can be complicated and progress isn't always linear, but I don't give up when things get hard. You're not just another appointment in my calendar. I'm committed to helping you feel better.
Honesty matters to me. I'll respect your time and your money by being straight with you, even when that means saying something you might not want to hear.
My experience
The thing that still strikes me is how much the brain wants to heal. It doesn't need to be convinced or pushed. It needs the right conditions. When those conditions are in place, the change can happen faster than most people expect.
The presentations I work with most are complex trauma that doesn't look like textbook PTSD, childhood trauma showing up as adult anxiety and depression, and people who have tried everything and still feel stuck. These aren't easy cases. But they are treatable — more often and more completely than the people sitting in front of me tend to believe.
What surprises people most when the work starts moving isn't just that they feel better. It's that it shows up in places they didn't anticipate. Relationships shift. Old patterns that felt fixed suddenly aren't. They find themselves responding differently in situations that used to be automatic.
One thing I've learned from sitting with this work for eight years: people can handle more than they think they can. The path isn't always quick and it rarely looks the way someone expected. But I genuinely believe everyone can feel better — whatever that looks like for them.
Before You Book
New clients are asked to prepay their first session fee to secure their session.
Cancellations within 48 hours of the appointment time incur the full session fee.
If you have questions before booking, the fees page is the best place to start. Or, you can contact my team using the link below with any other questions.