Alex Hayes, BACP

Alex Hayes is a BACP counsellor who uses a person-centred, client-guided approach. He aims to walk alongside people as they work through stress, anxiety, addiction and the other difficulties that bring them to therapy. He writes plainly and speaks directly about the small steps that add up to change.

He draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to help people notice what matters to them and build practical habits around those values. Attachment-based ideas shape how he looks at relationship patterns and intimacy-related concerns. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy tools are used when people need skills for managing strong emotions and impulsive behaviours.

Alex has three years of experience working in counselling centres, addiction treatment settings and private practice in Cape Town, Belgium and London. That background gives him experience with addiction, trauma and abuse, grief, bipolar and mood concerns, and issues around eating and sleeping. He also supports people facing career strain, compassion fatigue and life transitions.

He is comfortable talking about sexuality, kink and alternative sex culture, and will help people address communication, commitment and codependency problems. Other areas he works with include ADHD, self-esteem difficulties, anger and feelings of emptiness or isolation.

Sessions are offered in English and run by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging. Therapy sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time, and cost varies with location and therapist availability.

How Alex's approaches translate to online counselling

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters to them and take small steps toward those values. It is useful for anxiety, depression and getting unstuck when life changes feel overwhelming. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them with simple behavioural experiments. It is often used for stress, anxiety and mood difficulties and can produce practical, measurable changes.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Alex will discuss goals and preferences and try methods that suit the person’s needs. He aims to collaborate on a plan that mixes talking, values work and skills practice so progress can be tracked together.

Online sessions are available by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging. Video calls are good for face-to-face conversation and exercises that benefit from seeing each other. Phone sessions can fit into a shorter break or use less bandwidth. Live chat and text-based messaging suit people who prefer writing, want brief check-ins, or need flexible scheduling. These options make it easier to keep therapy consistent while fitting around work and family commitments.