Welcome to Hayley Ball Counselling

Providing face-to-face and online counselling in Wimborne, Dorset, also seeing clients from Verwood, Ferndown and Bournemouth

Counselling in Dorset

Hello and welcome.

My name is Hayley and I am an integrative counsellor with a relational approach who specialises in domestic abuse, sexual and complex trauma.

Searching for a therapist can feel daunting, I can remember when I had to do it for myself.

I bring a warm, down-to-earth approach to my practice, which has been shaped by years of working with people and my life experience.

I have worked with a diverse range of clients, all of whom have different reasons for seeking therapy. As well as providing face-to-face sessions, I see clients from throughout the UK and worldwide via telephone or online counselling.

Whatever your reason for finding yourself here, I can offer you a space to feel listened to and not judged.

A trusting relationship with a trained professional can enable you to be heard in ways that may feel new to you.

This can give you a chance to reflect on the challenges you face in your life and gain new perspectives to make a difference for yourself.

Making the decision to see a counsellor is a big step to take - but it can be a positive one. Please read on to find out more about how I could help you.

How Can Counselling Help?

Life brings many challenges, and it is understandable that at times we might look for support in facing them. As a counsellor my role is to provide space and guidance to help you on your journey of self-discovery; to enable you to examine your life and make new, meaningful choices within it.


I offer a chance to reflect on the difficulties or problems you are experiencing in a safe and confidential environment, with someone from outside your day-to-day life. Together we can explore your situation in a way that leads to fresh perspectives - and perhaps a new understanding of yourself. Counselling isn’t about giving you solutions or advice, but empowering you to make your own changes.


People come to me for help a wide range of issues. Here are a few of the more common difficulties that can be supported through counselling:

Feelings of stress or anxiety

Panic attacks

Relationship problems

Grief, loss or bereavement

Problems with addiction

Trauma and post-traumatic stress

Abuse

Depression

Problems with confidence or self-esteem

Anger management

Issues relating to sexuality

Difficulties at work or in retirement

Problems with family

"Hayley has helped me so much with so many aspects of my mental health. I've seen numerous professionals over the years and normally dreaded going to sessions with them. Not with Hayley. She always made me feel comfortable and never judged what I was feeling. I actually looked forward to our sessions! She helped me explore areas of my mental health I hadn't previously, and look at things from different perspectives to help me understand WHY I am the way I am, which in turn helped me come to terms with some of my issues. I would highly recommend Hayley to anyone who feels they need someone to talk to and help them through difficult parts of their mental health."

"Before seeing Hayley I had never seen anyone else, she made me feel very comfortable from the get go and listened thoroughly throughout each meeting. I haven't been with her for long but she has been an amazing help. She has taught me different coping strategies and I know I can still contact her if needs be. Thank you for being so supportive and kind."

"I have been having sessions with Hayley for nearly 2 years. She has been fantastic for me and I felt like I could talk to her as soon as I met her. She made me feel very safe and comfortable which enabled me to open up and talk. Something I had never done before. I have gone from being a very anxious person and having panic attacks regularly because of childhood trauma, to being in control of my feelings and much happier and relaxed about who I am. The way I was feeling before I took that first step to get help, affected my daily life, but after the support from Hayley, I now manage life in a positive way and can’t remember the last time I had a panic attack. I can’t thank Hayley enough for her support and help for me to finally be me, without feeling guilt or shame. I would recommend her to anyone."

"Working with Hayley has been the best possible decision and has had an incredible impact on me. I came to therapy at a particularly low point in my life, facing various difficulties and not being sure of where to begin with addressing them. Throughout the highs and lows of the past year and a half, she has consistently been there to support me and help me realise who I am. Not only has she helped me work through my issues, she has also helped me to reach a deeper understanding of myself and given me the tools I need to not just get through life, but to really enjoy it. I can barely recognise the person I was when I first met Hayley, but she has helped me to process everything I was feeling and come out the other side feeling confident, coping and enjoying life, as well as empathising with the person I used to be. All of this has been without ever passing judgement - it has been a safe space to bring anything I need to work on, and I will be forever grateful for everything Hayley has done.”

"I can't express enough how grateful I am to have had Hayley as my counsellor for the past two yeaers.

She listesn without judgement and has a unique ability to ask the right questions, helping me gain clarity and insight into my own behaviour. She made me feel heard and understood.

Hayley provided me with practical strategies to cope with the challenges I was facing and her guidance was not only insightful but also tailored to my specific needs.

Thanks to Hayley's expertise and genuine care, I have made significant progress in my mental health. I am in a much better place now, and I owe so much of that to her. If you're seeking a counsellor who is highly skilled but also compassionate and dedicated, I wholeheartedly recommend Hayley.

Thank you, Hayley, for your incredible support! Your impact is immeasurable, and I will always be grateful for the positive changes you've helped me to achieve."

Contact Me

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how counselling works, or to arrange an initial assessment appointment. This enables us to discuss the reasons you are thinking of coming to counselling, whether it could be helpful for you and whether I am the right therapist to help.


You can also call me on 07525 795743 if you would prefer to leave a message or speak to me first. I am happy to discuss any queries or questions you may have prior to arranging an initial appointment.

MY LOCATION

I work from a private room in Wimborne, Dorset and see clients face-to-face from the surrounding areas including: Verwood, Ferndown and Bournemouth.

I also offer online and telephone counselling to people throughout the UK.

FEES & AVAILABILITY

I offer a free 15 minute phone call prior to an appointment.


My fees are:

£60 for a single session (50 minutes)

£65 for a couples session (60 minutes)

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Certificate in Counselling Skills - 2014
  • Advanced Diploma in Integrative Counselling - 2019
  • Diploma in Creative Arts Therapies - 2022

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between counselling and therapy?

Counselling is usually a good way to help with a current problem; something that can be discussed and - hopefully - resolved within a limited number of sessions. Over a certain number of weeks the understanding of the problem improves and away forward becomes clear. Therapy often describes work that goes a bit deeper, towards more substantial life issues and problems having a deeper effect on the client’s life. Therapy often requires a long-term approach, so the number of sessions can be open-ended.

Which option is most suitable depends on the client and the difficulties they are facing. In some cases counselling works well as an ongoing, longer-term option - or therapy can manage to resolve an issue in just a few sessions.

How long will I need to have counselling?

How long a period of counselling lasts will vary from person to person and depend on the depth of the issues they are facing. For some people a couple of sessions helps to bring their problems into focus, and they feel ready to move forward; other problems may require more of an open-ended approach.

Before we begin any work we will agree on the number of sessions we’ll undertake, and at the end of that number review our progress. As long as we both agree further therapy will be of benefit to you, sessions can continue.

How long will I have to wait for an appointment?

My aim is to offer a first appointment - known as an initial assessment - within 1-2 weeks. Then we would arrange a set number of counselling sessions to take place at the same time every week, that is convenient for you and where I have availabity. How quickly these sessions can begin will depend on the availabity of that free ‘slot’.

Will everything I say be kept confidential?

Everything that is said within the counselling room is private - this is one of the main ways counselling and therapy differ from talking to a friend or relative. Once you are comfortable with the format of weekly sessions and the safe space they provide, you will find the freedom to speak in confidence is of great value.


Note that there are some situations where you may be a risk to yourself or others, and there the law requires that I notify an authority; in these cases I may not be able to keep total confidentiality. Breaking confidentiality is very rare though, and only happens after the person concerned has been informed.

Can I bring a friend or relative with me?

Usually I am asked this question by people who are nervous about entering into counselling, or when they are looking for support in coming to see a therapist. This anxiety is understandable, but a key aspect of therapy is that you should feel free to talk about any issues you feel are important to you. Having someone else with you who can be connected those issues makes this opening-up more difficult, so for this reason I do not see clients accompanied by friends or family.


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