Hailey Perkins, AMFT

Hailey’s therapeutic approach often focuses on identifying places in the psyche that harbor shame and dismantling it, placing emphasis on autonomy and mindfulness in all that we do rather than letting our shame run the show for us. By examining life’s “should's” , Hailey believes we can learn where our subconscious beliefs come from, and be given the choice to reframe them in a way that works for us or discard them altogether. Once we have a deeper, more autonomous understanding of who we are, often we can more easily share that person with those around us with better communication, emotional regulation, and deeper connections. As well as individual work, Hailey enjoys working with families and couples, striving to identify negative cycles and create solutions that meet the needs of all those involved. Communication is. Hailey also prioritizes a deep understanding and implementation of self-care. Bubble baths and occasional splurges are wonderful ways to treat ourselves, but often self-care needs to go deeper and be customized to meet all the needs of the individual client. Treatment, in Hailey’s opinion, should be as unique for every client as every client is unique!

Hailey has a special interest and much experience working with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). She believes that what makes us different makes us beautiful and she strives in her practice to destigmatize what makes us different and embrace ADHD as a strength. The world needs more people who don’t fit the mold and as Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D. once said:

         “Instead of pretending there is hidden away in a vault somewhere a perfectly ‘normal’ brain to which all other brains must be compared, we need to admit there is no standard brain, just as there is no standard flower or standard cultural or racial group, and that in face diversity among brains is just as wonderfully enriching as biodiversity and the diversity among cultures and races”

As well as being a therapist, Hailey is also an avid participant and supporter of the performing arts. She feels her experience in the arts gives her a unique perspective as a clinician and has allowed her to stay playful, creative, and compassionate no matter the circumstances. Hailey strives to embody compassion, fearlessness, playfulness, and unwavering belief in her clients and often muses that she hopes she gives “Miss Honey energy”, referring to the literary characters from Roald Dahl’s Matilda. When Hailey is not working or participating in the arts, she can be found spending time with her family, spoiling her pets, playing video games, reading, crafting, and drinking her own body weight in green tea.

Hailey is a Registered Associate MFT (#119572) and work under the direct supervision of licensed clinical social work supervisor Daniel Brezenoff (#23543)   

Costa Mesa, Long Beach & telehealth availability