Jay Hayes founded Sage Counseling and Consulting Group in 2021. He is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor who has been practicing since 2019, providing clinical services in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida.

Jay’s effectiveness in treatment stems from his ability to build rapport with people from diverse backgrounds. His lived experience as a minority has fostered a deep commitment to serving individuals from underserved and marginalized communities. Grounded in the belief that every person is made in the imago Dei, he approaches clients with dignity, compassion, and respect, regardless of differing worldviews.

Jay specializes in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). ACT is a values-driven, action-oriented approach that helps clients stop fighting or avoiding difficult emotions and instead accept them as a natural part of life while committing to behavior consistent with their values. EMDR facilitates healing from trauma and other distressing experiences by helping the brain reprocess traumatic memories. Jay weaves clients’ faith and spiritual beliefs into therapy using existential and humanistic approaches.