Chana-Kay Daley

Therapy for complex minds and intense emotion

You may have spent much of your life being misunderstood 鈥� by professionals, systems, or even the people closest to you. Perhaps you live with intense emotions, racing thoughts, sensory overwhelm, or diagnoses that never quite tell the full story.

I offer a calm, grounded, and non-judgmental space for people with complex inner worlds. Alongside my professional training, I bring lived experience of neurodivergence and mental health diagnoses, which shapes my work with depth, empathy, and realism.

I have worked extensively within women鈥檚 prisons, supporting individuals with trauma histories, emotional intensity, and experiences of shame, survival, and resilience. This work has taught me the importance of safety, dignity, and being truly seen 鈥� not managed or labelled.

Therapy with me is collaborative and paced carefully. We focus on understanding rather than fixing, helping you make sense of your experiences and develop ways of living that feel more manageable and authentic.

You don鈥檛 need to be 鈥榣ess鈥� to be worthy of support. You鈥檙e welcome to come exactly as you are.

Who I work with-

鈥淚 work from both professional training and lived experience of neurodivergence and long-term mental health diagnoses. This allows me to offer therapy that is grounded, realistic, and deeply respectful of complexity.鈥�

Who I work best with

鈥� Neurodivergent adults (ADHD, autism)

鈥� People with multiple or complex diagnoses

鈥� Clients with BPD traits or emotional intensity

鈥� Those who feel harmed or misunderstood by systems

鈥� Women with trauma histories

鈥� People who鈥檝e been told they鈥檙e 鈥渢oo much鈥�

Who I may not be the best fit for

鈥� Those seeking quick symptom elimination only

鈥� Highly structured, manualised therapy without exploration

鈥� Clients wanting advice-giving rather than collaboration

FAQ SECTION

What will our first session look like? 

I usually like to have a free 15 minute consultation with my clients over the phone or via a secure video platform to get an idea of if and how we could work together.

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Do you have lived experience of mental health or neurodivergence?

Yes. Alongside my professional training, I bring lived experience of neurodivergence and long-term mental health challenges. This informs my work with care and reflection, helping me offer therapy that is realistic, compassionate, and grounded 鈥� without making sessions about my experiences.

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Will you share your own experiences in sessions?

My focus is always on you. I may occasionally draw on lived understanding when it supports your therapeutic process, but I am careful, boundaried, and thoughtful about self-disclosure. Any sharing is purposeful and in service of your needs, not my own.

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What kind of clients do you work best with?

I work particularly well with adults who experience emotional intensity, complex or multiple diagnoses, neurodivergence, or long-standing feelings of being misunderstood or mislabelled. Many of my clients have felt failed by systems or previous support and are looking for therapy that feels human, respectful, and paced carefully.

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You鈥檝e worked in women鈥檚 prisons 鈥� how does that influence your work now?

Working in women鈥檚 prisons shaped my approach profoundly. It taught me the importance of safety, dignity, and non-judgment, especially when working with trauma, shame, survival strategies, and intense emotions. I am comfortable holding complexity and do not rush or minimise what clients bring.

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I鈥檝e been told I鈥檓 鈥渢oo much鈥� or 鈥渄ifficult鈥� 鈥� will this be a problem?

No. Many people come to therapy carrying shame from being labelled as 鈥渢oo much,鈥� 鈥渃hallenging,鈥� or 鈥渉ard to help.鈥� I am comfortable working with emotional intensity and complexity, and I aim to create a space where you don鈥檛 need to minimise yourself to be accepted.