Biography

I've been practicing as a psychotherapist for 15 years. My training has supported my work as a professional and also my own personal development.  I have extensive training in psychotherapy, for adults, adolescents and children. 
Over my career I have worked in a number of counselling and crisis based services across, Dublin, Louth, and Meath, and offer training and workshops to practitioners based upon experience and education. 

My therapy work has led me recognise the importance of specialised skills when working with trauma, including trauma as a result of attachment failures. I have since trained in EMDR eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing, and in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, (levels I, II, advanced trauma training in complex trauma, and assisted in their trainings.  

Prior to becoming a psychotherapist, I studied Fine Art, along side tutoring classical music for a number of years. My creative background is often combined in therapy, which can support finding expression for what is often difficult to put into words.  

As a compliment to my professional work, I am a qualified yoga teacher, trained in breathwork, and have professional training in teaching mindfulness, including the MBSR mindfulness based stress reduction programme.  I have been practicing mediation and mindfulness for 30 years, and believe in the importance of improving wellbeing, and the connection between the body mind relationship.

Adult Psychotherapy

Therapy first explores any goals you may have, and aims to move towards personal empowerment.  Perhaps you want to improve your self esteem or boost your confidence. Perhaps you are experiencing worries and anxiety and want to restore a sense of peace and calm.

Adolescent Psychotherapy (13 years +)

Adolescent Psychotherapy Adolescents often experience high level of anxiety, overwhelming feelings and thoughts. I use specialised skills to support adolescent development,  reduce stress and psychological distress. In addition, a focus of therapy is given to improving relationships between adolescents and peers, adolescent and their parents, and in providing parental strategies.

Counselling and Psychotherapy is there a difference?

I get asked this question a lot, and there are many similarities and skills that are interchangeable. Counselling helps by talking about current situations or problems which are often more immediate, and Psychotherapy helps to raise awareness of deep rooted patterns and habits of thoughts, feelings and behaviours, which is longer term.

Trauma Informed Therapy

Trauma has often been described as big 'T' with events like violence, robbery, rape, war, accidents, and recurrent sexual or physical abuse, or little 't' with less pronounced events, like divorce, infidelity, and loss of employment.  Trauma informed therapy means that I have specialised trauma training. I understand the how the brain is compromised in trauma, impacting the brain how information is stored in the brain, creating difficulty in regulating emotions, intrusive thoughts, often impacting relationships and quality of daily life. 

I trained in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy™ (based in Boulder, Colorado), over a number of years, which addresses trauma and attachment related issues. I have completed level I, II and complex trauma & structural dissociation, as well as having assisted on their trainings.  In addition to the sensorimotor model, I am training in EMDR Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing, a model that is used to reduce traumatic stressors.