I have been working as a therapist since 2001 and began my career in London where I completed my core training. I then went on to do post grad training in Ireland in the Children's Therapy Centre in Child Psychotherapy & Play Therapy, and also in Bereavement Support and Services which included working for a large hospice in London. I completed my MSc in 2011, more on qualifications on FAQ page. 

A recent (in the last few years) and current area of interest and further training for me has been in nature therapy. This is specifically nature & the natural world & its affect on our mental and emotional health. Human well being is linked with nature and the natural environment in a myriad of ways, and there is a growing body of empirical evidence revealing the value of the nature experience for mental health, and the consequences associated with being out of touch with it. With rapid urbanisation and declines in human contact with nature globally, anxiety continues to increase and we further lose touch with ourselves. To this end, I have started, where appropriate, to conduct some session outdoors. 

Special areas of interest and experience are depression & anxiety, overcoming trauma, gender dysphoria, bereavement, couples counselling and play therapy for children. I have a strong clinical background in the field of working with anxiety, adolescents & young people, culturally specific therapy, gender dysphoria, and trauma. 

I was contracted to work with the young participants on 'Growing up Gay' and was therapist and advocate for young participants on the two part documentary programme commissioned for and aired on RTE . I have worked in the LGBT+ community both here and in London since 2001. Gender dysphoria and gender identity in particular are my current and ongoing areas of interest, work and research, in which I am currently undertaking a doctorate.

 In working with young  people and in particular those under 18, it is very clear that at the moment it is a tough time to be gender dysphoric or gender variant, as there is a very polarised political discourse right now surrounding the issue of transgender/gender distressed young people and best approaches to clinical and psychological support.  This of course affects the young people concerned more than anyone else which is so unfortunate. To this end I work in a very neutral and exploratory way to help the young person themselves best understand what they are feeling,  and what is the right path for them. If you would like more information on this, please contact me for further information and/or discussion. 

I have worked with survivors of church & institutional abuse for the last ten years, both as a therapist and as a trauma recovery group facilitator for the last five. The group work is psycho-educational so this means that unlike a kind of group therapy, it is about learning why we are as we are, what effect the trauma has had, and learning and incorporating new practical skills and tools to deal with the difficulties. I incorporate these techniques into my therapy work.

I have worked with and was one of the founding members of the Traveller Counselling Service in 2008 and have continued to work with them since.  I have contributed articles to different periodicals discussing in particular daily anxiety and it's affect on our mental health, and am currently (though very slowly) writing  a book on optimal living for good mental and emotional health. 

My ethos is person centred with a keen interest in existential work, I believe that the client ultimately knows, somewhere,  what is the best course for them and so we work together to this end. This involves exploration and challenge, and not just a 'nodding dog' approach, which is not of any help to a client.

I'm a firm believer that looking after your mental health, as best you can, be that in therapy or by yourself or both,  is as important as looking after your physical health.