Hayley Banks

Hi! I'm Hayley and I am a fully qualified and experienced counsellor. You might be wondering whether counselling is for you so let me tell you a little bit about what to expect if you choose to see me.  I will provide a space for you to talk openly, at your pace without judgement. I will listen to your worries and provide you with empathy and compassion in a pocket of time that is just for you. Our counselling relationship is built on trust and we will work together at your pace.  I will encourage you to share your thoughts and emotions safely in order to explore solutions. Humour is important too and we will also celebrate the good times.

I work with young people and adults.  My specialism is trauma, in particular that associated with child sexual abuse, sexual violence and domestic abuse.  My approach is person centred but tailored to your needs, incorporating psychodynamic and somatic aspects.

As well as my specialisms, I have extensive experience in working with relationship issues and family dynamics, anxiety, loss and bereavement, depression, neurodiversity, low self worth and stress and work related difficulties.

I want to help you feel at ease.  Making people feel comfortable is so important to me as that is the key to us building a trusting relationship where you feel happy to confide. I value peace, quiet and time.  I can provide you with the time and space to explore to bring you peace.

I look forward to hearing from you. 

I am a qualified person-centred counsellor which means that you are at the heart of the therapy.  Your needs are important and that is what underlies the therapy I provide.  It is easy to lose sight of your own needs in life so I will help you to find them, recognise them and explore them.  

I also have qualifications in Psychodynamic Therapy and Somatic Therapy.  This enables us to look at past experiences often as far back as childhood or even further than that, as the past informs the present.  This can give new insights and help life to make sense.  Somatic Therapy means working with the body to ease anxiety, trauma and other stored feelings.  Getting to know how your body responds allows you to tackle things in a different way.

Everyone is different so I will work with you to help you understand your unique emotional and relational patterns, attachment styles and current issues so that you can explore solutions and work out what works best for you, supportively and safely.

I work with young people (14+) and adults.  Sessions take place in person in my own counselling room.

Before your first session we will arrange a telephone call so that we can introduce ourselves to each other before we meet for the first time.  During this call, I'll ask you some questions about what brings you to counselling and what your initial goals are, if you know them.  This also gives you a chance to ask questions and for you to see if we will be a good fit.

During the first face to face session, putting you at ease is crucial.  I understand how daunting it can be to meet someone new in a new place.  I am quite informal in style and I find this helps build an equal relationship, after all you are the expert on your life, even if you feel lost.  We will go through the working contract I have which sets out how I work and what to expect in a bit more detail.  I will also ask you to fill out an assessment form.  The first session will be about getting to know each other and relieving that initial anxiety.

My counselling room is private, peaceful, comfortable and decorated therapeutically with a garden outlook.