Counselling Services
“The curious paradox is that when I accept myself
just as I am, then I can change.”
~ Carl R. Rogers

Counselling and Psychotherapy Services

Oscailt, Integrative Health Centre, 8 Pembroke road, Dublin 4

Everything can be talked about. Whether you suffer from anxiety, depression, or are facing family or work issues, being able to express yourself in a safe environment can help you greatly.
My main approach is a person-centered, humanistic one. This means that I consider the quality of the relationship between therapist and client to be of great importance for the outcome of therapy. This approach forms the basis of my work.

I am nonetheless aware that every one of us is unique and this is why I usually adopt an integrative approach combining the person-centered approach with one of the following:

  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: changed-based therapy primarily focusing on action and moving forward.
  • Psychodynamic Approach: a therapeutic approach that assumes dysfunctional or unwanted behavior is caused by unconscious, internal conflicts and focuses on gaining insight into these motivations.

A Body Focus…

anxiety treatment, counselling, psychotherapy, dublin, dame streetAnxiety couldn’t arise within our mind if our body was completely relaxed. For that reason, I also focus on the bodily sensations and use different stress management techniques aimed at easing tensions. For example, spending a few minutes focusing on the breath and body at the start of a session can put the mind in a much better place to allow for a rich exploration of emotions and feelings.

Our “old” ways…

We may have become used to functioning in a certain way for years – or maybe decades – but we come to a point where we feel truly unhappy. We sometimes have a role that was assigned to us when we were young but we don’t feel that this is us anymore. We want to break free in order to be more connected to our true self. We might also have developed defense mechanisms that helped us cope with specific events at a time. These coping strategies – helpful at a time – are now preventing us from building meaningful and harmonious relationships with others. In these instances, revisiting the past and understanding what led to building these old ways can help us get rid of them and move forward, towards a more fulfilling life.

Mindfulness or how to live in the present…

There are good reasons why mindfulness is becoming so popular. What other cultures instinctively knew to be true for millennia is now also proved by modern neuroscience. Cultivating an awareness of our present experience with acceptance is having very positive effects on the brain and physiology. Allowing ourselves to explore all our emotions as they emerge in the present moment – whether they are labeled as “good” or “bad” – can open many doors and give us room for growth and change.

"A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes." ~ Mahatma Gandhi