Brian Hayes

I have a Master’s degree in clinical psychology and more than 10 years of practice, much of which has been focused on helping men overcome depression, anxiety, addiction and infidelity. While I will adapt my approach to your goals and needs, I primarily take a narrative approach to counseling. Narrative therapy begins with the premise that you are not the problem; the problem is the problem. The way we see ourselves can be defined by the language that we use. The problem-laden stories we tell about ourselves can leave out important details that may seem trivial but might point to a new way of examining our lives. As we begin this collaborative journey, I see my role as a co-author, helping you develop an alternate—yet perhaps truer—personal history so that you may move forward with courage and confidence. My approach does not focus on problems or pathologies but on personal strengths.

In my mid-40s, following a 20 year career in nonprofit management, I felt an ache inside me that there was something missing, that life had more to offer, and I had more to offer life. After a period of soul searching, I enrolled in a graduate program in clinical psychology at Antioch University, Los Angeles. I gained my first clinical experience in 2009 counseling chronic heroin addicts at a methadone clinic in downtown Los Angeles. Since then, I have collaborated with men, women and couples in a variety of settings to re-story their lives. I have been married for 30-years so I know the hard work a successful relationship can take. In the same way that I turned mid-life doldrums into a new, rewarding trajectory, I want to help you write the story that will bring your life fulfillment.