I’m Helen Billows
I give people working through trauma access to the brain of a booked-out trauma therapist (aka, me).
After 7,000+ trauma and EMDR therapy sessions, advanced trauma-focused training, and being selected to assist teaching other clinicians EMDR, I understand what actually helps people heal and what’s just noise (and there is a LOT of noise).
No more googling at 3am, navigating 20 contradictory articles wondering what advice is correct, or driving yourself crazy trying to separate baby from bathwater in the trauma-sphere.
I didn’t start out as a trauma therapist.
My first job after registering in 2018 was in alcohol and other drug services, doing the basic counselling and CBT I’d been trained in. But almost everyone I worked with had a significant trauma history, and most met criteria for PTSD. I was helping people manage their addiction while ignoring what was likely driving it. That didn’t sit well with me. I didn’t want to help people cope better with their substance use — I wanted to help them heal from whatever had made it feel necessary.
In 2018 I trained in EMDR. During the practicum, I was required to process one of my own memories. That moment changed the direction of my life, because EMDR worked for me in a way nothing else had. From there, my therapeutic sights were set on EMDR. I decided it was what I was going to make my career about.
Naturally, I went all in — read everything, and trained in everything. Looking back, about 90% of it was absolute rubbish. It confused me, pulled me in competing directions, and made me much worse at my job. Anyone can give advice on trauma, anyone can run a trauma training, and anyone can call themselves a trauma expert!
As a novice, I didn't understand how to determine what was legit and what was BS.
I trusted the people who said they knew. The research is clear: EMDR works, trauma therapy works, people get better, and improvement rates can be high. But I wasn't seeing it in my own room. I was throwing everything including the kitchen sink at my clients, and they weren't genuinely improving. They understood their problems better, but they didn't feel much different.
As a novice, I didn't understand how to determine what was legit and what was BS.
I trusted the people who said they knew. The research is clear: EMDR works, trauma therapy works, people get better, and improvement rates can be high. But I wasn't seeing it in my own room. I was throwing everything including the kitchen sink at my clients, and they weren't genuinely improving. They understood their problems better, but they didn't feel much different.
The gap between what the evidence showed was possible and what my clients were actually getting felt unacceptable to me.
I was dedicated to doing better. Given I had been around the trauma therapy merry-go-round, and tried everything as both a clinician and a client, I was able to keep what worked and leave what didn't. I committed to scaling back and binning anything that wasn't earning its place. Pardon the cliche, but... everything really did change from there.
The gap between what the evidence showed was possible and what my clients were actually getting felt unacceptable to me.
I was dedicated to doing better. Given I had been around the trauma therapy merry-go-round, and tried everything as both a clinician and a client, I was able to keep what worked and leave what didn't. I committed to scaling back and binning anything that wasn't earning its place. Pardon the cliche, but... everything really did change from there.
By 2022 I'd founded Billows Psychology with an exclusive focus on trauma and EMDR.
Since then, I've delivered over 7,000 trauma therapy sessions, earned consultant-level EMDR accreditation (held by fewer than ten psychologists in South Australia), and been selected to assist in training other clinicians across Australia. If you attend an EMDR training in Adelaide, I'll likely be there helping you count your saccades.
By 2022 I'd founded Billows Psychology with an exclusive focus on trauma and EMDR.
Since then, I've delivered over 7,000 trauma therapy sessions, earned consultant-level EMDR accreditation (held by fewer than ten psychologists in South Australia), and been selected to assist in training other clinicians across Australia. If you attend an EMDR training in Adelaide, I'll likely be there helping you count your saccades.
The more skilled and experienced I’ve become, the more obvious major issues have become to me:
HIgh quality trauma therapy is expensive and hard to access
Most of what’s online is too clinical to be useful, too vague to be trusted, or fixated on the “why” with nothing on “what do I actually do about it?”
The market is oversaturated with unqualified advice and contradiction
it’s near impossible to know what to trust
In January 2026 I launched The Trauma Nerd Podcast as a first step toward bridging these gaps…
Alongside the effective trauma therapy I do in the room, and the DIY and co-therapy formats I’ve built for people who want access to my brain without a full course of sessions.
I’m committed to giving you access to the good stuff, so that you can feel better and make real progress.
Outside the therapy room…
I’m an Adelaide Hills local, a pilates regular, and mum to a now-toddler who has strong opinions about everything.
He fits right in.
My credentials
7,000+ sessions delivered.
Across trauma, PTSD, complex trauma and personality disorders. This is not generalist work. Trauma is the entire focus.
Registered Psychologist.
Registered with the Psychology Board of Australia since 2018.
EMDRAA-Accredited EMDR Therapist and Consultant.
The highest level of EMDR accreditation available in Australia, held by a small number of psychologists nationally.
EMDR Training Facilitator.
Selected to assist in delivering EMDR training programs across Australia by national training providers Psychology Training and EMDR Therapy Training Australia. One of a small number of clinicians chosen to teach other therapists how to do this work.
PSYBA-Approved Psychology Supervisor.
Approved to provide formal supervision to trainee psychologists.
Eight years of university training.
Including a Master of Clinical Psychology, the highest level of clinical postgraduate qualification in the field. Completed with a perfect GPA.
Private Psychology Practice Owner.
I own Billows Psychology, a high-demand 1:1 clinical consulting practice with an exclusive focus on EMDR and trauma therapy.
A near-decade of continuous investment.
In specialised training, ongoing EMDR supervision, and clinical education.
A career built on staying at the front of this field.
Which means when you use my resources, you’re getting the real version.
My approach
I create resources for people who want the truth, not positive affirmations, and not a pep talk.
Everything I make is scientifically backed and grounded in what actually works. Not because it sounds good, but because I've seen it work in 7,000+ therapy sessions.
I don't oversimplify. I don't soften the psychology to make it more palatable. I assume you're capable of understanding complex ideas, and I trust you enough to give you the real version.
That means no filler, no wellness platitudes, and no advice I wouldn't firmly stand behind in the therapy room.
I'm honest, I'm kind, and I'm dedicated to genuinely helping.
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