About Alex
Alex Hayes is a BACP counsellor who combines practical therapies with a person-centred way of working. He keeps sessions simple and direct, helping people talk through stress, addiction, anxiety, depression and issues around identity and intimacy. Alex writes in plain language and aims to make therapy feel like a steady conversation rather than a lecture.
He trained and practised in counselling centres and addiction services in Cape Town and Belgium before returning to the United Kingdom.
How Alex works
That mix of settings shaped his approach to addiction, grief and recovery, and to problems that come with major life changes. He draws on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Attachment work to give structure to conversations. In sessions he follows a client-guided, person-centred style.
That means he listens first, and then works with each person to set realistic steps. He offers straightforward tools for managing emotions, coping with cravings, and improving sleep and routine. Alex also uses Dialectical Behaviour Therapy skills for emotional regulation and distress tolerance when needed.
He is comfortable discussing sexuality and alternative relationship cultures, and he will work with people on communication, boundaries and codependency concerns. He has three years' experience across clinical and community settings. Sessions are delivered online by video call, phone, live chat or text messaging and suit people who need flexible options.
To start, people use the Start Therapy button and complete a short matching questionnaire.
Alex lists 12 ways of working on the entry:
What Alex works with
The areas below are the ones Alex selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
Also listed
- Abandonment
- ADHD
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Bipolar disorder
- Career difficulties
- Coaching
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Family problems
- Grief
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Parenting issues
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sleeping disorders
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Workplace issues
Training and background
| Register | BACP |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 3 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | United Kingdom |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Therapy approaches that translate online
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on values and small actions. It helps people move towards the life they want even when difficult thoughts or urges are present. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, looks at unhelpful thinking and behaviour patterns and offers step-by-step strategies to change them. CBT is often used for anxiety, depression and sleep or eating difficulties.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Alex will talk through your needs and goals and suggest which methods to try. He treats this as a collaboration so methods can be adjusted as you progress.
Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat and text messaging to make therapy more flexible. Video calls are useful for a fuller conversation and visual rapport. Phone sessions can be shorter check-ins or suit lower bandwidth. Live chat and text messaging allow brief updates, reflections between sessions or those who prefer not to be on camera. These options make it easier to fit therapy around work, family and daily life while keeping the focus on practical steps and emotional support.
Start online instead of waiting
Our partner service asks a few questions about what you are looking for and matches you with a therapist for sessions from home.
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Common questions
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A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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