Helen Brice - It's All About Me!
"Our openness to the world is constituted by Stimmung..." Martin Heidegger
THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC
In 2010 I founded Stimmung in Harley Street. Since 2016 I'm based in historic Golden Square, which is located between Piccadilly and Oxford Circus in London's west end, and where I have complete flexibility with session times. This address is fitting as many musicians and performers have resided here over the centuries. Indeed, No.11, where you will find Stimmung, used to be the home of Paramount Film, and today Golden Square remains the home of Absolute Radio. These days Stimmung and its associates provide discreet, confidential psychotherapy for DJs, all genres of musicians, song-writers, composers, actors, broadcasters, writers, artists, theatre practitioners and designers.
PERSONALITY
In 2010, I developed a speciality in working with clients presenting with problematic personality styles. This came about as a result of a placement at a women’s prison where I was offered intensive training of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy for clients with emotions were under-controlled. I later worked as DBT Team Lead and supervisor of DBT practitioners in the NHS in the prison setting and at the Priory Hospital for six years. I continued to develop my private practice, whilst bringing my existential-phenomenological work to the private hospital setting of The Priory with patients in individual and couple therapy. In 2014 I became an intensively trained RO DBT Practitioner to treat those with a differently problematic personality style of being over-controlled emotionally.
STILL SINGING, OFTEN SWIMMING, ALWAYS MAKING MUSIC.
I haven't given up music, though. Whilst it's exceedingly rare for me to play piano or flute since graduating from Music, I did manage to arrange and record a Michael Nyman CD of "Music For Two Pianos" (on Signum). I also sing for fun on occasion with the chamber choir Fiori Musicale; and record vocals with my friend Del for library tv music. Outdoor swimming keeps me happy, and saved my psychological well-being during the lockdown. Singing and swimming are usually combined on entering cold water, when my vocal chords involuntarily reach soprano range, when otherwise I'm a very low alto!
SO, WHAT IS STIMMUNG?
It's a German word that, translated as best as possible, means mood, and attunement to mood. German philosopher Martin Heidegger thought that Stimmung was fundamental in understanding our feelings about our environments - the reciprocal energy between a person and their situation. I think that my attunement to my clients' moods is fundamental to the therapeutic relationship.
Like many psychotherapists, I came to this profession as a second career. My first one was in the music business as an artists' manager and recording executive.
Unlike many psychotherapists, I live on a wide beam narrowboat, with my husband and two cats. Technically, I'm a traveller, but don't let that alarm you! Stimmung has a fixed address, which is where you'll come to see me Tuesday to Saturday if you have face-to-face sessions .
PSYCHOTHERAPY CAREER PATH
2010 - present Founder and Owner Stimmung (Private Practice)
2021 - present Founder RO DBT Clinics UK (Private RO DBT Treatment Programme).
2014-2015 DBT Team Lead Priory Hospital North London.
2013-2015 DBT Team Lead & Supervisor at HMP Holloway & YOI (former women's prison & young offenders' institution).
2011-2013 DBT Practitioner and Existential-Phenomenological Psychotherapist Priory Hospital North London.
2010-2012 Honorary Placement DBT Team NHS/HMP Holloway
2009-2011 Staff and Students Counsellor Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance, Greenwich, London.
MUSIC INDUSTRY CAREER PATH
1994-2006 Manager, Executive and Associate Producer for Karl Jenkins and Adiemus
1994 Work Music London/Signum - Recorded Artist, Zoo Duet
1993-1994 Boosey & Hawkes - Music Editor and Proof Reader
1991-1993 Freelance Music Producer
1989-1991 Virgin Classics - Executive Producer for New Music
QUALIFICATIONS
1989 Music & Drama BA(Hons) Degree, (Brunel University).
2010 Existential Psychotherapy & Counselling Postgraduate Masters, (New School of Psychotherapy & Counselling)
TRAINING
DBT Intensive, British Isles DBT Training (Prof Tom Lynch and Heidi Heard, 2011)
RO-DBT Intensive (Grayrock, Prof Tom Lynch, 2014 & 2018)
PROFESSIONAL BODIES MEMBERSHIP
UKCP (UK Council for Psychotherapy)
SEA (Society of Existential Analysis)
MUPCA (Accred) (Accredited Member of Universities Psychotherapy & Counselling Association)
MBACP (Member British Association of Counsellors & Psychotherapists)
FRSA (Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts & Manufacturing)