I became a therapist because of positive experiences as a client, and completed a degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy in 2011. Since 2014, I have been fully accredited with the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. I have a private practice in Dun Laoghaire, three minutes walk from Sandycove/Glasthule dart station, and for the past six years I've been volunteering with Living Life counselling center in Bray.
My training covered many theories of counselling, with a primary emphasis on the person centered approach. Person centered counselling emphasis an equal and collaborative relationship between client and therapist, where a relationship of trust, safety and confidentiality is developed. In such a relationship, clients can look at often very painful issues, knowing they'll be listened to without judgement and without being told what to do. Most of us grew up in families that were less than perfect. In order to gain the acceptance, love and approval we so desperately needed as little children, we took on whatever roles were necessary to fit in, e.g. perfect student, surrogate mother or even, 'black sheep'. However, as we mature and create new relationships in adulthood, these identities often don't fit, and may lead to anger, confusion or depression. Counselling offers an opportunity to question often long held perceptions of ourselves, and instead, allows us to connect with the person we truly feel we are.
There are many issues that bring clients to counselling; anxiety and depression, grief and loss, parenting, adoption, marital breakup, relationship difficulties, illness, low self esteem, loss of identity, empty nest, mid life changes etc. In addition to the above, as a wife and the mother of grown children, I have a particular interest in the ever changing role of women, and the often excessive demands and unrealistic expectations directed at women in our culture. Another aspect of the counselling relationship I feel strongly about is the recognition of those strengths and internal resources which clients often fail to recognise when feeling overwhelmed by problems. Focusing on what is working, no matter how small, offers hope that the situation may not be as bleak as first believed. This change in focus can be supported by the practice of mindfulness, which encourages awareness of the often negative messages we are bombarded with by our thoughts. Of support also, I believe, is some understanding of how our biology influences our daily lives. For example, in order that our ancestors survived the many dangers in their environment, it was important that they became highly attuned to real or imagined sources of threat. The result is our so called, "negativity bias". Having such information often explains why, when we hear five positive comments, it's the single negative one which we most remember, and how, more importantly, we can counteract this by consciously seeking out what is positive. Self care is another area which supports the counselling process. Eating nourishing food, taking exercise, getting adequate sleep etc. all support us through difficult times and can ease the burden when times are tough.
In terms of self care and in line with the policies of the IACP, I attend regular supervision in order to support my clients as effectively as possible. Additionally, I am constantly updating my skills through workshops and relevant courses etc.