- Years in practice
- 3
- Registration
- BACP
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Addictions
- Focus
- Trauma and abuse
About Alex
Alex Hayes is a BACP counsellor who draws on a practical, person-centred approach. He aims to walk alongside people as they tackle stress, anxiety, addiction and parenting struggles. His tone is down-to-earth and direct, with simple steps you can try between sessions.
He trained after leaving a corporate career and living and working in Cape Town and Belgium. That background shaped how he supports someone dealing with addiction, grief or major life changes.
Background and approach
He talks plainly about recovery and how to move out of difficult patterns. In sessions he uses a mix of therapies tailored to each person. Techniques from cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) help with unhelpful thoughts and routines.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) supports clarity about values and next steps. Attachment-based ideas and client-centred work guide how he builds a trusting space. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) skills may be used for emotion regulation and coping.
Alex says the work is collaborative and paced to the person's needs. He has three years of professional experience across counselling centres, addiction treatment settings and independent practice. He sees people online and by phone from the United Kingdom.
Sessions are offered in English, and he does not accept international clients.
What Alex works with
Everything Alex lists, in their own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Alex helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Trauma and abuse
- Self esteem
- Coping with life changes
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Attachment issues
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- Emptiness
- Family problems
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Workplace issues
Approaches Alex lists
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centred Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
- Existential Therapy
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Somatic Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each counsellor names and does not check training records.
How these therapeutic approaches work online
Alex commonly uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) which focuses on clarifying what matters to someone and taking small committed steps towards those values. It can help with anxiety, low mood and life changes by making choices that fit a person's priorities.He also draws on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to identify and shift unhelpful thinking and routines. CBT is practical and action-focused, often using simple exercises to test thoughts and build new habits.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk through options and decide together which methods suit the person's goals and preferences. This keeps the work collaborative and tailored to each situation.
Online formats make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when that helps progress. Phone sessions are useful when bandwidth is limited or when a person prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and text-based messaging can offer shorter check-ins, written reflections and flexible moments of support between longer sessions.
Questions people ask about Alex
What concerns does Alex help with?
He supports people dealing with stress, anxiety, addiction, depression and parenting challenges, along with relationship, grief and self-esteem concerns.
How would he approach sessions?
His style is person-centred and collaborative, adapting CBT, ACT and attachment ideas to what the person needs in the room.
What is his professional background?
Alex has three years of counselling experience working in counselling centres, addiction treatment settings and independent practice in several countries.
What credentials and location are listed?
He is BACP registered and currently based in the United Kingdom.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English only and international clients are not accepted.
What session formats are available?
Sessions can be held via video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging.
How does cost work?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with him?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.
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