Born and raised in Wales, Helen qualified to be a doctor in Cardiff, then specialized to be a psychiatrist in London.
From 1998 until her retirement in 2019, Helen was a Consultant Psychiatrist at Hywel Dda University Health Board. Because of her outstanding professional leadership, she was elected vice-president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
A specialist in complex mental illness, autism and learning disabilities, she has held many advisory roles for the Welsh Government, and was an Honorary Senior Lecturer at Swansea Medical School. She has focused on developing services in the community, including in Welsh, her first language, and has a particular interest in developing the Botanic Garden from the perspectives of emotional well-being, mental health and disability.
Helen and her family live in Dyffryn Tywi.