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Polly Hayes  Counselling

Welcome to my counselling practice.

Here, I aim to support you in making sense of your experiences by providing a safe and nonjudgmental space to explore your thoughts and feelings. As an integrative counsellor, I utilise somatically informed techniques to help you understand your nervous system and its responses to emotion - in simple terms this known as the fight flight flee response which is in constant activation to keep you safe, alert and rested. By combining effective somatic techniques with talking therapy I will help you connect with how your body holds and reacts to emotions supporting you to find equilibrium. My simple yet effective exercises support your nervous system as we work through anxiety, stress and traumatic experience equipping you with tools for self-regulation.​  My approach focuses on empathy and a commitment to honouring each individual's unique journey.

I am an experienced practitioner working with neurodiversity, relationship issues, grief, loneliness, childhood trauma and anxiety. This list of is not exhaustive please do contact me you do not have to suffer alone. 

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February 2024 

When I sit in Polly's presence I always find her calm, open attitude allows me to be free in my thoughts and discuss the things that are on my mind. This is extremely cathartic. Never judgemental and always the patient, understanding listener, Polly is without doubt the person whom I find talking to the easiest.

September 2024 

I had a great experience with Polly. I was really nervous for my first session but from the moment I stepped in I felt completely at ease. She has a lovely calming space which made me feel comfortable and safe to share my thoughts. She is really good at listening and gently advising if/when necessary. I would always come out like a weight had been lifted

January 2025

Stepping into Polly’s office feels like a refuge of warmth. The cozy, inviting atmosphere immediately calms me, making it a safe space to open up. Small details such as comfortable seating, soft lighting and hydrating water contribute to a sense of ease.
Beyond the physical space, it’s Polly's warmth that truly makes each session. She validates my experiences, offers thoughtful insight, and encourages mindfulness. She has created a space where I feel safe to be vulnerable, while respecting my boundaries, which is an incredible feat.
If you're looking for a therapist, I cannot recommend Polly highly enough. I've seen my fair share of therapists, and I know that what works for one person may not work for another—but Polly’s approach has been the most effective for me.

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My Personal Journey With The Weight of Unspoken Emotions: A Journey Through Loss and Healing 

By reading my lived experience I hope to give you some insight into the personal side of me, maybe it will support your decision to start on your own therapeutic journey.

I grew up in a house where the air was often thick with tension, witnessing domestic violence at a young age I became hyper vigilant to adult emotions, keeping my awareness tuned ready to intervene to try to stop the fighting and keep the fragile peace. This sensitivity to emotions - a gift and a curse - followed me into adulthood. I could sense when people were hurting, even when they smiled through the pain and I always wanted to keep the peace sometimes at the expense of my own wellbeing . I became the one who would listen, who would comfort, who would offer an outstretched hand. In many ways, I became the person who fixed and soothed, because fixing and soothing was what I knew. What l later learned through my own therapy was I was in a freeze and fawning state - sympathetic in Polyvagal terms. My nervous system had not processed the early life experiences and had stayed primed to keep the peace.   

  __________

In my mid-twenties after a short battle with cancer my mum passed away. The loss bought up an ocean of emotions that came in waves - sadness, regret, anger, mixed with joy and remembrance. Our relationship had always been challenging, marked by conflict, misunderstandings, and emotional distance. Even though she wasn’t the constant I had hoped for, the grief of her passing was still profound. In many ways, it felt like the loss of someone who I had never fully understood, and yet, someone who had always been there. With her death, I wasn’t just grieving the loss of a person, but the absence of all the unspoken words, the things we never got to say. 

What shifted for me was the support I received from a wonderful therapist. She offered me the space I needed to process my grief at my own pace, to untangle and make sense of the emotions. It was here I first experienced somatic approach therapy connecting the dots between how my thoughts and body were connected. I learnt to see that healing isn’t linear. There are moments of immense clarity, and there are moments of deep confusion. What matters most is creating the space to feel everything that comes up without trying to control it or push it away. I was the one who was allowed to feel, to express and to release. It gave me autonomy over my life experiences, compassion for my emotions and the strength to hold my own boundaries. 

Through this process of healing, I realised that my experiences had, in some way, strengthened me. They had sharpened my sensitivity to the unspoken, to the deeper currents beneath the surface in my body. They had deepened my empathy and my understanding of what it means to truly hold space for another person’s emotional journey.

This sensitivity, once a vulnerability, has now become a gift in my work as a therapist. It allows me to sit with clients in their darkest moments without judgment, to hold their pain with care, and to help them find a way through their own grief. I understand what it feels like to feel broken, and that understanding makes me more compassionate in my approach. I’ve learned that the most important thing I can offer isn’t just techniques or answers, but the space to be heard, seen, and understood.

The reflector work I’ve done on myself has made me a stronger, more compassionate therapist. I’ve learned that soothing isn’t always about fixing others, but about creating a safe, open space where healing can begin. And most importantly, I’ve come to understand that healing begins when we give ourselves the permission to feel, and the courage to process the emotions we often try to bury. 

Sessions 

It has taken courage to get to here, acknowledging that something does not feel right is a step towards the potential of finding meaning and respite. By working collaboratively I structure the sessions around your needs and goals employing evidence based techniques along side psychoeducation. Your goals may include: coping with loss, managing anxiety, self exploration in neurodivergence, understanding sensory processing, improving self esteem, managing depression.

I provide both short term sessions lasting six to twelve weeks and long-term open-ended sessions.

Short term is best more immediate day to day challenge, we will agree on one area or goal to work towards. If at the end of a block of sessions you would like to explore more the option is open and available. Once our therapeutic relationship is established some clients like to come back for a short block of sessions, finding the 'check in' with self beneficial to maintaining overall equilibrium. 

Long term gives more us more time and space to explore life experiences as a whole. Where there is trauma, its cause and how it has created deep-rooted patterns of behaviour. Together we can explore creating a sense of personal safety and development of coping strategies. ​​

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Request a call 

Please take a moment to fill out the form with brief info & provide the best time for a return call. 

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Feel free to reach out to me directly via email or fill out the contact form, including your preferred times for me get back to you and your availability for therapy sessions. I strive to respond within two working days. 
Please note that I offer face-to-face sessions only. My practice room is located near Fulford Road with free parking available directly outside the building. It can also be easily accessed by foot or bike from the riverside walkway, though this may be affected by winter flooding.

My room is on the first floor, accessible by a flight of stairs, as there is no lift.

Each session is priced at £50, which I request be paid bank transfer at least 24 hours in advance.
Email: contact@lyhayescounselling.com

Address

Unit 2b 

35 Hospital Fields Road 

Fulford

York 

YO10 4DZ

Opening Hours

Monday 10:30 -19:30 

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

9:30 - 17:30

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