Hailey Hughes

Hi, I’m Hailey! I’m passionate about providing quality mental health care from a trauma-informed lens and with an approachable style. I hate the idea of asking you to sit in a cold, impersonal office and stare at a stranger who’s expecting you to tell your life story. I will never ask you to do that. Hell, I would never do that. I see my own therapist from home while I’m bundled in a fuzzy blanket and flanked by my 2 guardian chihuahuas. I encourage you to find the most comfortable, cozy place for our telehealth sessions, too. If you prefer to walk and talk therapy, yay! Let’s meet in the park and allow the environment (and squirrels, ducks, birds, lizards, and occasional bunny) to help us regulate as we work through what’s showing up for you. I love nature, and I’ve seen magic happen during walk and talk sessions. With a little intentional movement, the body feels empowered to speak in new ways. In our work together, I will help you find balance. You will learn to set boundaries, without indulging avoidance. You will discover ways to care for yourself, without abandoning your responsibilities. You will unlearn people-pleasing, without sacrificing your values or kindness. As we understand the unique language of your nervous system, we can adjust your life accordingly, in order to promote safety, healing and greater life satisfaction. I invite you to approach therapy with agency, at your own pace. Don’t want to tell me everything at our first session? Cool! That’s a wise impulse from your system. You barely know me. Allow yourself to feel safe with me first before we talk about the really hard stuff. I’m also a very collaborative therapist. I love incorporating humor, play, art and music in session. Just like our environment can act as a conduit for feeling and expression, so can our creative practices. Be weird in session. Our bodies are weird. Trauma is weird. Free expression is always allowed! We will utilize somatic modalities like SE (Somatic Experiencing) in order to provide the body with safety, curiosity and openness. As we track bodily sensations, emotion, behavioral impulses and imaginal experiences, we will decode the language of your nervous system, allowing you to make meaning of your past, feel more complete and maintain a sense of presence. We will bring in stabilization techniques such as grounding, orienting and mindfulness in order to establish a felt sense of safety before we dive into any amount of trauma work. This is essential in order to prevent any re-traumatization. I also supplement somatic work with other trauma-informed approaches to therapy, such as IFS (Internal Family Systems) and NARM (NeuroAffective Relational Model). If you find yourself thinking “I am already very self aware” or “Therapy hasn’t helped me in the past because I’ve already processed everything… but my symptoms persist”, somatic interventions might be the perfect fit for you. 
Somatic therapy seeks to treat the underlying cause, not the symptom. While you might already know everything about your symptoms, you might not embody, or experience, them in a meaningful way that allows them to discharge from your nervous system. Your body might be running processes that are unable to “complete” until we give them a safe, contained space to do so. 
In our work together, you will notice a shift in your overall way of being very early on. Many of my clients report feeling a stark difference after just one session. When you begin to connect with your body in new ways, you might notice sensations, emotions and somatic experiences more than you ever have before. This can bring a depth of insight that goes beyond self awareness at a cognitive level. 
SE is also great for those who would like to try something like EMDR, but are prone to dissociation and require a gentler, slower approach. The core belief of my practice is that your body holds the answers. I will never tell you what to do. The cues we follow in your nervous system will help you make sense of your past and understand the symptoms you’re experiencing in your present. Reach out at 512-843-3118 by text or email haileyhughestherapy@gmail.com for a free consultation call and if we are a good fit, I can help you start your somatic healing journey. Rate: $160-$110/ 50 minute session If you wish to file a complaint to the Licensing Board in Texas you can contact the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council at 1-800-821-3205 or email enforcement@bhec.texas.gov to request the appropriate form or obtain more information. Mailed complaints may be sent to: Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council Attn: Enforcement Division George H.W. Bush State Office Building 1801 Congress Ave, Ste. 7.300 Austin, TX 78701 TX LPC license #87917 For more information on licensing verification, please click here. The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council investigates and prosecutes professional misconduct committed by marriage and family therapists, professional counselors, psychologists, psychological associates, social workers, and licensed specialists in school psychology. Although not every complaint against or dispute with a licensee involves professional misconduct, the Executive Council will provide you with information about how to file a complaint. Please call 1-800-821-3205 for more information.