About me
Hi, I'm Dr. Scarlett Jay.
I'm a registered psychologist and a sex worker, and I created this site because the support I needed didn't exist.
For years I sat on both sides of the room: trained in evidence-based psychology, and living the realities that most of my textbooks either ignored or pathologised. Too many sex workers I knew had stopped looking for help because every professional they met wanted to talk about quitting before they'd talk about anything else.
Everything here starts from a simple position: your work is your decision, and you deserve good mental health care either way.
Follow along on Instagram @drscarlettjay
My story
Lived experience meets professional expertise.
I came to psychology through curiosity about why people cope so differently with similar pressures. During my training I was also working, quietly, and noticing how rarely the research described anyone I knew. Studies about sex workers tended to focus on risk and harm, while the everyday stresses of the job (irregular income, secrecy, emotional labour, stigma) barely featured.
After qualifying, I worked in community mental health services and research, and kept meeting sex workers who had been let down by well-meaning professionals. Some had been told their anxiety would disappear if they changed jobs. Others never mentioned their work at all, so their therapy never touched the thing that was weighing on them most.
These resources are my attempt to close that gap: practical, evidence-based tools written by someone who understands the work from the inside, without judgment and without an agenda.
I write under a professional pseudonym to protect my own privacy and that of the people I work with. My qualifications and registration can be verified on request.
Qualifications
Training and registration
[Year]
Doctorate in Clinical Psychology
[University name]. Thesis on stigma, concealment and wellbeing in [population].
[Year]
MSc Counselling Psychology
[University name]
[Year]
BA (Hons) Psychology
[University name]
Current
Registered Psychologist
[Registration body], registration no. [number]
[Year]
Trauma-informed practice
Advanced training in trauma-focused CBT and EMDR, [Training provider]
Current
Professional membership
Member of [Professional association]
Experience
Where I've worked
[2022] – present
Independent practice and resource development
Creating workbooks, guides and training for sex workers and for the professionals who support them.
[2018] – [2022]
Clinical Psychologist, [Community mental health service]
Assessment and therapy for adults with anxiety, depression and trauma, including outreach to marginalised communities.
[2015] – [2018]
Research Psychologist, [University or organisation]
Research on stigma, identity concealment and access to healthcare. Published in [journal names].
[Years]
Sex worker
Lived experience across [sectors], which informs every resource on this site.
Not sure where to start?
The free resources are a good first step, with no sign-up needed.