Hayley Matthews, BACP, NCPS
Gentle, practical counselling for life challenges
Details
| Name | Hayley Matthews |
|---|---|
| Credentials | BACP, NCPS |
| Based in | United Kingdom |
| Registered with | BACP, NCPS |
| Session format | Online |
| Languages | English |
| Years in practice | 5 |
About Hayley
Hayley Matthews is a counsellor who aims to make starting therapy straightforward. She offers a calm, warm presence and practical support for people facing stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction and relationship strain. She works with adults on issues like self-esteem, parenting pressures, grief, career worries and life changes.
Sessions are available online or by phone to fit into busy lives. Hayley uses a person-centred way of working that focuses on what matters to each individual.
Background and approach
She listens closely to life stories and helps people make sense of how past experiences shape present reactions. Narrative ideas are part of her practice, so she often helps people reframe the stories they tell about themselves. She also draws on attachment-based thinking to look at patterns in close relationships.
Cognitive behavioural techniques are used when helpful to identify unhelpful thoughts and try small experiments in day-to-day life. The aim is to combine talking, simple exercises and practical steps you can try between sessions. Hayley trained and practices with reference to the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP, and is listed with NCPS.
She has five years' experience working in mental health and the care sector. Her background means she is comfortable offering both shorter-term focused work and longer-term exploration. People can expect a straightforward, non-judgemental approach.
Hayley may invite journaling, metaphors or brief exercises when these feel useful. Her focus is on helping people identify realistic next steps that suit their life and goals.
What this therapist works with
Her listing names Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Self esteem among the things Hayley works with, alongside the areas below.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Self esteem
- Depression
- ADHD
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Avoidant personality
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Cancer
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Dissociation
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Fertility issues
- Guilt and shame
- Hearing impaired
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Personality disorders
- Post-traumatic stress
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches listed
- Narrative Therapy: Named in her listing among her approaches.
- Attachment-Based Therapy: Listed by Hayley among the ways she works.
- Client-Centered Therapy: Listed by Hayley among the ways she works.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Listed by Hayley among the ways she works.
- Existential Therapy: Listed by Hayley among the ways she works.
- Mindfulness Therapy: Listed by Hayley among the ways she works.
- Motivational Interviewing: Listed by Hayley among the ways she works.
- Psychodynamic Therapy: Listed by Hayley among the ways she works.
- Solution-Focused Therapy: Listed by Hayley among the ways she works.
- Training stated: This directory copies the approaches a therapist names and does not check training records. Ask Hayley directly how much of the work is narrative and what a session usually looks like.
Narrative Therapy in this listing
Narrative Therapy appears in this therapist's own list of approaches. That tells you it is part of how she works. It does not tell you how much of a session it shapes, and this directory does not check or rate training.
If a narrative approach is what you are looking for, it is worth asking Hayley directly how she uses it and what a session usually looks like.
Online session options
How Hayley’s approaches work online
Hayley combines narrative ideas with attachment-based and person-centred work to help people change how they view their lives. Narrative Therapy focuses on the stories people tell about themselves and looks for alternative narratives that fit better with their hopes and values; this can help with identity, self-esteem and relationship issues. Attachment-Based Therapy explores patterns in close relationships and how early experiences shape current reactions, which is useful for people struggling with trust, intimacy or repeated relationship difficulties. Client-Centred Therapy places the person's experience at the heart of sessions, offering empathy, acceptance and warmth to help someone feel heard and begin to make changes.Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about their needs, goals and preferences and then shape sessions together. This is a collaborative process and the plan can be adjusted as progress is made.
Online sessions offer flexibility for people with busy schedules or who find in-person appointments difficult to fit in. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues, phone sessions can be a good option when bandwidth is low or a shorter check-in is needed, and live chat or text messaging suit those who prefer to write or want ongoing brief contact between calls. These options make it easier to keep therapy consistent while balancing other commitments.
Common questions about this listing
What concerns can Hayley help with?
She works with a wide range of difficulties including stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and addiction, plus relationship and family-related worries.
What style of therapy does she use?
The work is largely person-centred and narrative in style, with attachment-based ideas and some cognitive behavioural techniques used when helpful.
How much experience does she have?
Hayley has five years' experience providing short-term and longer-term counselling in mental health and care settings.
What credentials and region are relevant?
She is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and listed with NCPS, working in the United Kingdom.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English only.
What session formats are available?
Hayley offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging as ways to meet.
How are costs handled?
Costs vary by location and therapist availability and are managed through a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.
Contacting this therapist
Sessions with Hayley are arranged through our partner platform. It asks a few questions about what you are looking for, then shows you the therapists available to you, including Hayley where she has space. Ask about fees, and whether she holds a licence or registration where you live.
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