Open Door CounsellingCounselling · PenarthPenarth

The team

Two counsellors, one front room.

Helen and Dafydd, both registered and in monthly supervision, both experienced, different enough that most people know within the free call which of them they would rather see.

A calm counselling room with two oatmeal armchairs angled towards each other by a sash window
Helen Pryce, a woman in her fifties with shoulder-length greying brown hair and a sage cardigan, seated in an armchair by a sash window

Founder, integrative counsellor

Helen Pryce

Registered member, BACP no. 000000 (placeholder). Here since 2011.

Helen trained in Cardiff after fifteen years as a hospice nurse in the Vale, which is where she learnt that most people need to talk about the person, not the death. She opened Open Door in the front room of 7 Plymouth Road in 2011 and still sees most of the bereavement clients. Calm, direct, and unembarrassed by tears or swearing.

  • Individual counselling
  • Bereavement, including after suicide
  • Anxiety, stress and panic
  • Online and phone

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; Tuesday evenings

A free call with Helen
Dafydd Lloyd, a slim man in his forties with a short greying beard and a navy jumper, standing by a bookshelf in a quiet therapy room

Person-centred and couples counsellor

Dafydd Lloyd

Registered member, BACP no. 000000 (placeholder). Here since 2017.

Dafydd was a secondary-school teacher in Barry for twelve years before retraining, and joined Helen in 2017. He sees the couples, most of the workplace referrals and a good number of men who arrive saying they have never done this before. He grew up in Llanelli and works in Welsh as easily as in English.

  • Couples counselling
  • Workplace referrals
  • Men who have never talked before
  • Sessions in Welsh or English

Monday and Thursday evenings, Wednesday, alternate Saturday mornings

A free call with Dafydd

Behind the room

Supervision, insurance and the rules we work to.

Both counsellors see an independent clinical supervisor every month, which is where they talk through their work (without your name) so that someone experienced is always checking it. Both hold professional indemnity insurance and work to their professional body's ethical framework, which includes a complaints process you can use if something goes wrong and talking to us has not put it right. On this demonstration site the registration numbers are placeholders; on a live site they would be real and checkable on the register.

We do not diagnose, prescribe or give medical advice. If we think a GP, psychiatrist or specialist service would help, we will say so and, with your agreement, help you get there.

Start with a free 20-minute call.

Talk to the counsellor you would see before anything is booked or paid for. Ask anything, including whether we are the right people. The diary shows the next free call; pick it, or ring and leave a message and we reply within a working day.

Book a free callHow it works