Dr Hayley Rock

Hi I’m Hayley, I’m a HCPC registered Clinical Psychologist offering psychological therapy to adults in Bristol and online.

Why choose me?

I strongly believe that whatever the problems are, it is possible to make sense of them; to understand why they came to exist, and what has kept them in place or perhaps 'stuck' so far. As a clinical psychologist, I am trained to the highest level in ‘formulation’; which is essentially the process of understanding someone’s emotional, psychological, relational and physiological experiences, including any problems within these domains they would like to overcome. This sense-making process can have a huge impact in and of itself, not only because it can create space for a more compassionate view of oneself, but also because it provides clarity about the key priorities for therapy and ideas for how best to tackle them. A formulation led approach such as mine, does not pathologise or reduce people's experiences down to a set of 'symptoms', but rather contextualises problems and provides a holistic account of a person who alongside their difficulties, has their own unique qualities, strengths, hopes, and aspirations. 

All kinds of problems and dilemmas may lead someone to consider therapy. Feeling anxious or low; struggling with low confidence and/or self-criticism; frustration that the same problematic patterns in relationships keep being repeated; difficulty coping following a traumatic life event; struggling to decide what path to take in life and find a sense of purpose – these are just a few of the many problems people face, that I can help with. 

Being a Clinical Psychologist means that I am trained to Doctoral Degree level in a number of evidence-based psychological therapies, all of which aim to support and empower people to make meaningful and lasting changes to their lives, enabling them to overcome the difficulties they are facing and ultimately, to live happier lives. 

Why therapy at all?

I understand people to be fundamentally social creatures who thrive on meaningful connection – both with loved ones and with ourselves. Being truly in touch with our own internal psychological, emotional and physiological worlds, is an extremely important aspect of our mental health and overall wellbeing. I see our ability to truly feel a sense of security, trust and connection in our relationships as just as important. 

I believe that the journey towards resolving specific problems, finding greater connection with ourselves and others, and overall growth; can all benefit hugely from being able to take some the time out from our busy lives, and engage in reflective, self-focused conversations with a trusted person. Sometimes this trusted person can be a friend, partner or relative. Sometimes the nature of what we want help with means it's important to speak to someone separate from our day-to-day lives, who can offer more than a supportive listening ear and who can apply evidence-based therapeutic techniques proven to improve people’s mental health. There is no shame in this. In fact, I believe that deciding we want or deserve better for ourselves and seeking professional support to help bring about the desired changes, should come with a great sense of pride.

Therapy provides a talking space which is completely dedicated to you and your needs. It can help people clarify what they want and need to change in their lives in order to feel happier and more fulfilled. It can help people to develop greater confidence in better advocating for themselves in order to ensure these needs are met, for example at work or with a partner. It can help people to develop greater confidence in simply ‘being with’ their feelings, and to respond to them differently. In my experience, conversations in therapy sessions certainly have the power to bring about seismic change in peoples' everyday life.

My approach

My therapeutic approach is fundamentally derived from the following key psychological theories and therapies: 

• Attachment theory
• Systemic theory and therapeutic approaches
• Narrative therapy
• ‘Third wave’ CBT approaches (Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Compassion Focused Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Mindfulness based CBT (MbCBT))

Drawing on these theories and approaches, means that the creation of a safe, consistent and collaborative therapist-client relationship is of fundamental importance to me. I pay great attention to this as I believe that the formation of a therapeutic relationship built on mutual trust and genuine connection is essential for self-exploration, discovery and the emergence of new ideas. I work with warmth, empathy and sensitivity. I take a proactive rather than passive approach; I will share my understandings of what is or has contributed to a person’s emotional and psychological experiences, and of any barriers that may be preventing change, even if these ideas have the potential to feel somewhat jarring at first. I am tentative and curious, and of utmost importance to me is the extent to which any new ideas discussed in therapy, 'fit' for the person I'm working with.

I don’t typically use psychiatric diagnoses within the language I use to describe people's difficulties. I believe that diagnoses can (but not always) be reductionist, pathologizing of the individual, and serve as a potential barrier to truly exploring the extent to which contextual factors and traumatic events have impacted a person. That said, I understand that for many people, psychiatric diagnoses can feel helpful; I am always respectful of this and will always seek to understand what it is about any particular diagnoses that feels useful to someone when it comes to making sense of their experiences. 

My role within a neurodevelopmental assessment team hugely developed my understanding of Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASC) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the challenges that many people face with i) understanding which, if any of their experiences may relate to neurodiversity, and which may relate to other factors such as mental health, and ii) how best to tackle some of the common issues people with these diagnoses experience. 

If you think you may like to meet with me for therapy, the first step is for you to book in an initial, free introductory phone call. This will be a quick call, simply for me to introduce myself and tell you a bit more about how I work. You can then decide if you would like to book a full 90-minute assessment session.  

This 90 minute assessment session will allow me the opportunity to understand the main issues you would like help with, and to establish whether I am the right person to help. If I think I will be able to help, I will share some of my ideas about what therapy would look like with me. If feel I’m not the right person to help, I will guide you to other more suitable avenues of support. At the end of the assessment session you can decide whether you would like to proceed with on-going sessions or not. If you need to take some time to decide this, that's also okay. 

My fee for both in-person and online sessions is £80 per 60 minutes (the 90 minute initial assessment session fee is £120).

I provide sessions at both of the therapy rooms practices I run. Please see ‘The Redland Practice’ and ‘The Easton Practice’ pages on the Rock Therapy Rooms website to see photos of the rooms (www.rocktherapyrooms.co.uk).