Alex Hayes , BACP

Alex Hayes is a BACP registered counsellor with three years of clinical experience who has worked in counselling centres, addiction treatment settings, and private practice across Cape Town, Belgium, and now London. He is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), a professional body for counsellors and psychotherapists.

Alex takes a person centred, client guided approach, walking alongside people as they explore change. He prioritises a non-judgemental environment while offering challenge when it supports progress, aiming to collaborate with each person to build the changes they want to make.

Before training as a therapist he worked in corporate roles in London. Following his own experience of addiction he relocated to Cape Town to retrain and to help others in the ways he had been helped. That lived experience informs his work and underpins his commitment to supporting people through very difficult periods toward recovery and renewed direction.

He maintains availability on Tuesdays and Thursdays and brings a practical, compassionate stance to therapy that focuses on meeting people where they are and working together toward meaningful change.

Approaches that translate to online care

Alex uses client-centred therapy to create a respectful, collaborative space where the client’s priorities guide the work. This approach is about listening deeply, following each person’s pace, and helping them discover their own solutions for issues like relationship strain, self-esteem, and life transitions.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is used to help people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, and to clarify personal values so they can take meaningful action. ACT can be helpful for anxiety, stress, and patterns that hold people back.

Attachment-Based Therapy explores how early relationships shape present-day connections and emotional patterns. It can be useful for addressing abandonment, attachment concerns, intimacy issues, and recurring relational difficulties.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Alex works with each person to determine which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences, adapting techniques as therapy progresses.

Online sessions by video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging offer flexibility for people balancing work, family, or geographic constraints. These formats make it possible to access regular support without travel, maintain continuity between sessions, and find ways of communicating that suit each individual’s comfort and lifestyle.