Clinical psychology for professional men
Performing well.
Running on empty.
You are still delivering at work. Everything outside it has quietly narrowed. If effort alone were going to fix this, it would have done so by now.
Tell me what is going on
Does this sound familiar
It rarely looks like a problem from the outside.
Work still gets done. Everything else does not.
Performance holds. The margin around it has gone. Switching off has become difficult, and you are not entirely sure when that started.
The things that used to work have stopped working.
The gym, the sleep routine, the holiday. They help for a fortnight, then the pattern comes back, which suggests the pattern is not really about effort.
It is manageable, until it suddenly is not.
Most of the time you hold it together. The threshold for when that stops being true seems to be getting lower, and the gap is narrowing.
The approach needs to change, not the man applying it.
This is what structured, evidence-based therapy is designed to address.
About
I am Brett.
I am a HCPC-registered Clinical Psychologist with more than ten years in NHS and private settings, an accredited EMDR therapist, and I work primarily with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
I work almost entirely with professional men carrying stress, burnout and anxiety. Not because other people do not struggle, but because this group tends to arrive late, having tried to solve it privately first, and tends to do well with something structured rather than open-ended.
Being a man myself is not a qualification, and it does not make me a better psychologist. It does seem to shorten the run-up for a lot of the men I see, which matters when the hardest part was picking up the phone.
I see clients online across the UK and in person in London, Tuesday to Thursday afternoons and early evenings.
More about how I workServices and fees
Three ways to work with me.
Every route starts the same way, with a short form and a conversation. Fees are listed in full. Insurance clients are welcome through Aviva, AXA Health, Bupa, Cigna and WPA.
Weekly therapy
Ongoing fifty-minute sessions using ACT, EMDR, or both, shaped around what is actually going on. Online across the UK or in person in London. No waiting list at present.
Start hereFocused ACT course
A structured block of one to four sessions for a specific, well-defined problem, when you want practical skills rather than an open-ended commitment.
Start hereIntensive EMDR
EMDR delivered as a concentrated block over consecutive days rather than weekly hours, which suits people who travel, work unpredictable weeks, or would rather not stretch this over months.
Start hereHow it works
What happens after you send it.
You complete the form
Around five minutes. What is going on, what you have already tried, and what you would want to be different. It goes only to me.
We speak for twenty minutes
Free, no obligation, and genuinely a two-way assessment. If I am not the right person, I will tell you that and point you somewhere better.
We agree a plan
Weekly, a short focused course, or an intensive block. You will know the approach, the likely length and the cost before the first full session.
Writing
Worth reading first.
Why men find it harder to ask for help
And what the delay actually costs, in the areas most men would say they care about most.
Read →Work stress or burnout
They are not the same thing, and the difference changes what actually helps.
Read →When you cannot switch off
What is happening when the working day ends and your attention does not.
Read →You have probably been managing this for a while.
Most of the men I work with waited longer than they needed to. The first step is a short form, not a commitment.
Tell me what is going onTestimonials
"This has been the most productive work I've ever done for myself..."
"For me it's been the practical tools that have really made the difference and given me the ability to work through the challenges I've had. It's been a very practical approach to understanding how my reactions and the way I feel are linked to how my brain works. It's helped me realise that this is a normal way for my brain to process things and it's genuinely improved my quality of life and overall wellbeing. Overall this has been the most productive work I've ever done for myself. I've felt supported throughout and always listened to, and I've been given tools that genuinely helped me understand how to move forward. It always felt like a safe space."
"It has been really helpful for me to regain control and the ability to be present..."
"Being able to unhook myself from overthinking and negative thoughts. Being able to label them as narratives and then ground myself was really helpful. Also, I feel like we were initially headed down one path and Dr Hayes adjusted things depending on how sessions went. It has been really helpful for me to regain control and the ability to be present. I am extremely grateful for this."
"Dr Brett Hayes made me feel comfortable beyond anyone I have ever spoken with..."
"Dr Brett Hayes made me feel comfortable beyond anyone I have ever spoken with. His demeanor is calm, understanding and open in providing a safe environment to share experiences. I personally have never experienced therapy in any capacity but Dr Brett made me feel as though I could share anything without the fear of judgment. I sincerely enjoyed my time speaking with him and would recommend him to anyone who is experiencing mental health worries."