About

My name is Jessica Hayes, and ReImagine Therapy is the name of my private therapy service based in Warrington, Cheshire.

I am a qualified Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist (CBT Therapist) and a fully accredited member of the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP), the governing body for CBT in the UK. I am also an EMDR therapist, trained by the EMDR Association UK and am a member of that professional body. This means that I have received a high standard of training and met the requirements needed for accreditation by the designated professional bodies. It also means that there are strict ethical guidelines that I follow to ensure that I help people in a safe way, and that I make a commitment to attend regular training and supervision to ensure I provide the best support for you that I can.

I have been working within mental health for over a decade, helping both adults and young people. I created ReImagine Therapy to enable clients to access therapy in my local area, without the waiting lists and restrictions of the NHS, and to make training and information available for those who need it. I also offer therapy remotely via online video calling, so people from further afield and those who don’t feel comfortable face-to-face can still access this support.

It is important to know that I love what I do and that I work hard to help people. My main goal is to help people to feel better as quickly as possible. A big part of my therapeutic approach is to help my clients to gain an in-depth insight to their ways of thinking and their emotions, then together we challenge unhelpful aspects of these and ensure they have the skills to address any challenges that might come up in the future. By doing this, my clients can then help themselves following therapy, by being their own therapist in a way.

My experience

I have worked within the field of mental health for over a decade; in the NHS in numerous roles, for private companies, and for charities specialising in mental health and suicide prevention.

I have completed further training in different types of therapy, but mostly use CBT and EMDR, with some aspects of Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) when appropriate. The logical aspects and science behind these approaches, and ability to really pull apart our thoughts and responses fits with my personality, making these the natural choices for my focus.

I am experienced in working successfully with a variety of issues, including (but not limited to); obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), depression, panic disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, postnatal depression and anxiety, and low self-esteem. I have gained extensive experience in working with OCD, particularly with people who have been unsuccessfully treated for this in the past. I now have some associate therapists who I use for clients looking for help with OCD when I do not have capacity to work with them. These associates are also very passionate about helping OCD and they are experienced, in addition to being supervised by myself for their OCD work. Take a look at their information on my associates page.

I am also extremely passionate in working with mental health during pregnancy and the postnatal period, and have a support group for new mums in addition to working on a 1-1 basis with them. I am committed to furthering my training at every opportunity to ensure that I can work with a wide range of difficulties in a variety of ways so that I can adapt to the needs of my clients.

My approach

I work with people to understand what might be maintaining any difficulties with the way they feel or respond. I encourage a hands-on approach, and you’ll find that I am a very practical therapist who likes to explore things with clients in a session so that we can make sense of everything together. This might involve just a general discussion, or drawing things out with you so we can both understand the links between what is going on and look for ways to help you.

I feel this really helps people to understand themselves and their difficulties more.

My aim as a therapist is to support you through difficulties with your emotional wellbeing, and to help you to build skills so that this change is life-long. Building insight into yourself is one of my key focuses in sessions. This is so that we both understand what has led to the way you feel right now and what keeps it going. This means that you will know why what we do has worked and therefore feel equipped to cope with any difficult situations that might come up and manage the emotions these may trigger yourself in the future.

Although I mention specific things on this website that I can help with, you do not need to have a diagnosed (or diagnosable) mental health condition to benefit from therapy. If you believe that something about the way you feel or think is impacting on your life, then we can explore this together. This therapy, and my approach in general, is goal-focused. This means that we work with what you bring and aim towards what you feel would help you live the life you are hoping for.

To do this, I am open and honest so that we can create a safe space where you feel comfortable and heard.

CBT and EMDR are both extremely effective therapies. I ensure that I follow these approaches, whilst tailoring treatment to you as an individual. This takes input from you, as you understand your needs and goals, which is why working together is so important.

In the nature of honesty and working together, I am always open about what I feel is the best approach to help you, in addition to whether you need an approach or specialism that I do not offer. I also make decisions with you about how many sessions your particular issue may need, so you are always informed and in control of any decisions over your treatment.

I am passionate about my work and so do everything I can to improve my skills and learn more so that I can help you in the best way possible.

Professional Qualifications

Postgraduate Diploma of Higher Education in Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapies (BABCP Accredited course)
MSc in Cognitive Brain Imaging
BSc (Hons) in Psychology

Some of the further training I have completed

EMDR parts 1 & 2 with EMDR Masterclass
Qualified Suicide Prevention Advisor (trained using the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills model)
An introduction to theory and practice of Compassion-focused Therapy (CFT) from The Compassionate Mind Foundation
Working with Perinatal OCD
OCD Fundamental Workshop Series (OCD fundamentals, behavioural change, and working with young people with OCD)
Applying CBT to Children and Adolescents (an ongoing British Psychological Society approved certificate)
Living life with uncertainty
Addressing postnatal depression as a healthcare professional
Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (Level 1)
Working with chronic pain
Working with trans young people
Understanding sexual trauma

Professional organisations

Fully accredited member of the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP)
Registered member of EMDR Association UK
Graduate member of the British Psychological Society (BPS)