Debra Hayman , BACP

Debra Hayman offers a warm, client-centred approach that puts each person’s experience at the heart of therapy. She uses person-focused listening alongside evidence-based tools to help people manage anxiety, stress, low self-esteem and trauma. Debra is based in the United Kingdom and holds BACP registration with eight years’ professional experience.

People come to her with many concerns, including relationship worries, grief, addictions and eating-related issues. She also supports those facing major life changes, burnout or compassion fatigue. Sessions aim to help clients understand their feelings and make practical changes that feel achievable.

Debra draws on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to spot unhelpful thinking and build new habits. She also uses Emotionally-Focused Therapy and mindfulness practices to help people connect with feelings and calm the mind. The choice of approach is matched to the person and their situation rather than being one-size-fits-all.

Her background includes seven years working with drug and alcohol misuse alongside broader mental health concerns such as domestic violence, depression and anxiety. That experience informs a grounded style and practical strategies for coping day to day.

Debra encourages anyone who is nervous about starting therapy to take the first step. She guides new clients through a short matching process and helps them plan sessions that fit their goals and daily life.

How Debra’s approaches work online

Debra uses client-centred therapy to build a trusting therapeutic relationship where the client's experience guides the work. This approach focuses on listening, reflecting back what a person says and helping them feel heard, which can help with low self-esteem and relationship concerns.

She also uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which looks at the links between thoughts, feelings and actions. CBT provides clear, structured techniques to reduce anxiety, manage mood and change patterns that cause distress. Emotionally-Focused Therapy is another tool she draws on to help people recognise and name emotions and to improve how they relate to others when intimacy or connection is difficult.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. Debra works collaboratively to decide which methods fit a client's goals and preferences. She checks in regularly and adapts the work as problems change or new priorities emerge.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging. Video is useful for face-to-face conversation and visual cues, phone calls can be easier when bandwidth is low, live chat suits short check-ins and messaging supports regular contact without scheduling a full session. These options offer flexibility to fit therapy around work, family or travel.