Services
“Trauma is not what happens to us, but what we hold inside in the absence of an empathic witness”. (Peter A. Levine)
Services
I offer Counselling to Adults, Couples and Internet-based Counselling via Zoom (please click on the links below for more information).
As a Holistic Integrative Counsellor, I may include the following:
Trauma-Informed Therapy
Attachment Theory
Gestalt Therapy
Somatic Embodied Therapy
Mindfulness / Breathing Techniques
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Psycho-Education
Psychodynamic Theory
Inner Child Therapy
Transactional Analysis
Creative Work
Relational
Adult Counselling
Adult Counselling can improve your mental health, and a qualified counsellor can help with low self-esteem, reduce stress...
Couples Counselling
Relationship and communication difficulties can lead to avoidance, conflict and intimacy problems...
Internet-based Counselling
Since COVID impacted us all, online counselling continues to help clients from all walks of life and around the world...
Adult Counselling
Adult Counselling can improve your mental health. Research has shown that talking to a qualified counsellor can help with low self-esteem, deal with triggers from past trauma, help reduce stress, build better relationships and give you coping skills for stressful life events. However, getting the right counsellor can take time, and it is important to get the ‘right fit’ for the therapeutic relationship to develop and build trust.
I offer a Holistic Integrative Counselling model, which means using various approaches tailored to the client’s needs, such as Trauma-Informed, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness, Attachment Theory, Gestalt and Psychodynamic Theory. I start with a Client-Centred approach to give space for the client to share their story and often use creative interventions (if the client is happy with this) to explore thoughts, feelings and behaviours in order to bring about change.
My aim is to empower clients to come to their own resolutions through self-awareness, and working at a pace that is comfortable for them. I offer a professional, safe and compassionate holding, within a confidential space. This enables clients to share their stories and goals for therapy. I encourage client autonomy and self-care. I often use psycho-education in the session, which can help clients to understand what is going on for them, especially regarding the fight/flight/freeze response, which may be activating their brain and nervous system.
My counselling room is based in St Peter Port, but I also have the use of a room in St Sampson’s for easy wheelchair access. Sessions are one hour, usually weekly and reviewed regularly. The number of sessions a client requires will be different and unique for everyone, and we can discuss this when we meet for the initial meeting.
Couples Counselling
“So you have arguements. The first thing to realise is that you’re not the only one. The fact that you and your partner differ and disagree, and that your disagreements lead to conflict, may be painful, but it’s normal. And the fact that your relationship is painful, doesn’t mean that you’re the only couple in the history of the universe to feel like this. It doesn’t mean that you’re inevitably failing. What it does mean is that you and your partner are two of many millions of people in the world today who have never been shown how to handle conflict”. (Susan Quilliam).
I love the above quote by Susan Quilliam, as it portrays a ‘hope’ that couples are not alone in their struggles. I see many couples who are struggling with communication, sexual intimacy and mental health issues, affecting their relationships. It is suggested that communication issues are often at the ‘heart’ of relationship difficulties which can lead to avoidance, conflict and intimacy problems. I recognise that each couple brings to the session a unique story with different levels of needs. I use a relational model, which may include worksheets and creative tools to help explore issues within the relationship.
I offer one-hour sessions, which will be reviewed regularly. In the initial meeting, we will discuss your goals for therapy, and I will ask you to complete a personal assessment, which takes about ten minutes to complete. This will help me to understand better how I can help. I will then meet with you individually as part of the assessment process, giving each the opportunity to share their thoughts and/or concerns. We can then discuss how best to proceed with therapy if it is appropriate to do so.
Internet-based Counselling
During the Covid pandemic, online counselling became a popular way of ‘doing’ therapy, giving clients the ability to still meet with their counsellor in a safe and confidential space. Online counselling continues to help clients from all walks of life and from around the world. For some, it saves on travel time, is more cost effective and can help clients feel safe and supported in their own homes.
I often work with clients online, using a secure video link (Zoom), as face-to-face counselling may not be the right approach or convenient for some clients. Please contact me if you would prefer to receive therapy online. Do also consider these guidelines below before we meet.
- Ensure you have a safe and confidential space to talk freely, away from interruptions from family and pets.
- Do make sure you have a good internet connection.
- Set the camera (screen) at eye level and set your volume so you can hear clearly what is being said.
- Have a plan in place if someone comes to the door (i.e. postman, deliveries, friends).
- Wear comfortable and appropriate clothing.
- Have a glass of water and tea/coffee to hand.
- Have your phone to hand if I need to contact you if we lose an internet connection. However, during the session, I ask that your phone is on ‘silent’ to avoid being disturbed.
My qualifications
My qualifications include a Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE Couns. level 5) in Counselling with Middlesex University. I also hold a Bachelor of Theology Degree (BTh.) (Accredited through Sydney College of Divinity, Australia).
I have undertaken Relationship and Couples Training with Relate Guernsey/UK, as well as attending various courses to continue with my professional development (CPD). I have also worked for a short time with the Trauma Recovery Centre (TRC) in Guernsey, using play therapy. I hold various certificates and qualifications from CPD courses.
I am a Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), as well as an Accredited Registrant Member of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society – MNCPS (Acc.). I hold full public liability insurance, as well as insurance covering GDPR and an up-to-date Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Certificate.
Testimonials
“Hayley is a wonderful human being, who brings her expertise of listening and understanding of a situation. She is very adaptive to her patient’s needs and is flexible even if it means changes in agreed structured plan. Thank you Hayley for being a supportive Therapist.”
“Hayley has helped me to share freely with no judgment and I feel like a huge weight of guilt and shame has lifted off from me.”
“Good practical sessions with a variety of techniques not just talking.”
“I am so blessed to have found Hayley as my Therapist. Therapy is seen as a stigma within my close circle, I was very apprehensive about attending my first session. However, Hayley made our initial session a bliss. She was highly attentive to my needs and interjected when needed. I felt so safe in our conversation that I was able to talk freely for the first time in my life. Through this journey I was able to unearth one of my biggest issues that was hampering my relationships. With Hayley’s professional recommendation of a workshop (intervention), I was able to work on my issue and improve my relationship with my close circle and more importantly myself. Thank you so much Hayley, you have been a blessing for me”.
“Your help and counselling have been truly life-changing and really put me on a good path. A lot more to learn and develop in myself but I feel I’m well equipped, from all your help, to tackle this by myself now. I believe I’m in a good place to take steps by myself with the tools I have and awareness I have gained. I would like to say a huge thank you for your help. I wish you all the best and please keep up the work you do at helping people like myself”.
“Hayley is very insightful and allows you to systematically work through any issues you may have, how to understand where they come from and how to deal with them – using a variety of techniques that she checks you are comfortable with”.
“I arrived on Hayley’s doorstep feeling broken. Having had a few years of dealing with some pretty tough issues I began to feel completely vulnerable and had lost my resilience.
After a few weeks of visiting Hayley in her cosy, safe environment I began to feel whole again. Hayley’s gently posed and astute questions and her knowledgeable explanations enabled me to process what I was feeling.
It is the first time I have had counselling, I come from the ‘Pull yourself Together’ generation, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I won’t hesitate if I have an issues in the future. I would thoroughly recommend Hayley”.