Inner Harmony Counselling

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About Me

Here's a little information about me and how I work.

What I can help with

You may have spent years feeling “too much”, “not enough”, or like you had to hide parts of yourself to stay safe. Perhaps you grew up with a parent who controlled, criticised, or dismissed you, and you’re still carrying the impact. Maybe you’ve always felt different - especially if you’re neurodivergent - and you’re tired of masking or overthinking every interaction.

I help adults who feel different, overwhelmed, or shaped by difficult early relationships - including those who identify as neurodivergent, grew up with controlling or narcissistic parents, or struggle with people‑pleasing and shame. Feeling different often means years of masking, adapting, or shrinking yourself to fit in. Together, we make sense of your story so you can feel more grounded, confident, and connected to who you really are, and begin creating relationships and boundaries that feel safe and sustainable for you.

a statue of a man sitting on top of a rock
a statue of a man sitting on top of a rock

  • Anxiety and overwhelm

  • Journey through neurodivergent diagnosis

  • Pre- and post- ADHD diagnosis

  • Low mood or loss of direction

  • Relationship difficulties

  • Stress, burnout, or emotional fatigue

  • Self‑esteem and identity

  • Life transitions

  • Loss, grief and bereavement support

Inner Harmony Counsellor Hayley
Inner Harmony Counsellor Hayley

About me

My name is Hayley and I am a qualified and recently experienced Integrative Counsellor. I started my working life as a Primary School Teacher, specialising in KS2 teaching, mathematics and music and began changing career in 2022.

Masters in Integrative Counselling - 2024

Degree level training empowering the practitioner to draw from different types of therapy to tailor an approach specifically for you.

I have worked in several universities in West Yorkshire as a Student Counsellor, supporting young and mature students from within the Wellbeing teams.

I also received a late diagnosis of ADHD at age 31 years and I am managing my life without medication at the moment. This personal decision is based on my own knowledge of ADHD and how I can best support myself in day-to-day life. I believe that I left the teaching profession in part due to not understanding this and fighting against, not living in line with my neurodivergence.

The current landscape around neurodivergence is shifting which is helping lots of people, especially women, identify with struggles associated with things out of their control. This is one of the reasons I work well with people who are diagnosed or believe themselves to have a neurodivergence, to help them discover in a more compassionate stance their challenges and strengths and live more fully in the present.

chair in room for therapy
chair in room for therapy
brown wooden chair lot inside room
brown wooden chair lot inside room

Working with university students provided me with opportunities to support a vast breadth of difficulties, including:

  • ADHD challenges

  • Undiagnosed neurodivergence

  • Social difficulties with friends, peers, shared house situations

  • Changes within relationships with romantic partners, friends, family members and house mates

  • Grief, loss and bereavement

  • Resurfaced trauma wounds from childhood

  • Recent and historic victims of sexual abuse, rape and discrimination

  • Feeling burnt-out

  • Challenges with change or transitions

  • Depression and low mood

  • Anxiety and stress

In the university setting, counselling is a time-limited resource, therefore I have much experience with working to great depth within 5-6 sessions. For some, this was enough. But for others, they would have benefitted from longer-term counselling and we referred on.

Having ADHD helps me as a counsellor in numerous ways. I have a fast processing speed, I can hyper-focus on clients during sessions, my brain sees large and micro-patterns quickly and I have deep empathy and compassion for others.

If my personal style and experience sounds like it would suit what you are looking for, please do get in touch.

My Therapeutic Approaches

white jigsaw puzzle with missing piece nearly in place
white jigsaw puzzle with missing piece nearly in place
Integrative Approach

I work as an integrative counsellor, drawing on several therapeutic approaches rather than just one. This helps me shape our work around what feels most supportive for you. I use elements of psychodynamic, humanistic and behavioural therapies, each offering a different way of understanding your experiences — from noticing patterns in how you respond to exploring how past relationships may still influence you.

This flexibility allows me to respond to the whole of your experience — mind, body and emotions — and adapt our sessions as your needs change. It’s a compassionate approach that can support many difficulties and help you move toward greater clarity, emotional healing and personal growth.

two people seated and talking
two people seated and talking
Relational Approach

A relational approach means the therapeutic relationship becomes a meaningful part of our work. How we connect, how you feel in the space, and how we move through challenges or moments of insight can all offer helpful clues about your inner world. This relationship can also become a safe place to practise new ways of relating — to yourself, your emotions and the people in your life.

My relational way of working is grounded in compassion. I pay attention to how you speak to yourself, how you respond to your needs and where self‑criticism may have taken root. Together, we explore gentler, more supportive ways of being with yourself, helping you build self‑compassion and healthier relationships beyond the therapy room.

hands reaching for each other
hands reaching for each other

A Transactional Analysis (TA) approach offers a simple, practical way of understanding the patterns that shape how you think, feel and relate to others. I use TA both in the background and more openly when it feels helpful — exploring the Parent, Adult and Child ego states, the drama triangle or the idea of life scripts. These concepts can give us a shared language for noticing familiar patterns and beginning to change them.

Many people find TA grounding and empowering. It can help you understand why situations feel triggering, why particular roles feel familiar, and where old expectations may still be influencing you. Used gently and collaboratively, TA can support you in making clearer choices and developing healthier, more compassionate ways of relating to yourself and others.

Transactional Analysis Approach
old photo held in the same space it was taken
old photo held in the same space it was taken

A psychodynamic approach helps us explore how past experiences continue to shape your present‑day feelings, beliefs and patterns. Early relationships and unspoken expectations often sit just outside of awareness, influencing how you respond to situations without you fully realising it. Bringing some of this into consciousness can offer clarity about why certain emotions or reactions feel so strong or familiar.

This work can be powerful but also tender, which is why I integrate it with compassion and a steady relational focus. We explore these deeper layers at a pace that feels safe, paying attention to what arises in the moment. Over time, this can help you understand yourself more fully and create new possibilities for how you relate to yourself and others.

Psychodynamic Approach
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DISCOVER YOUR INNER HARMONY

Schedule a brief introductory call to begin untangling your patterns and find inner harmony.