Niamh is an accredited psychotherapist with over 10 years’ experience. She runs a busy private practice, is an associate lecturer with PCI College, and is a mother of two children. She is living with a long-term illness and so brings both professional expertise and personal insight to her work in trauma and mental health.

Aoife currently works in private practice in Insight Matters in Dublin, working with both adults and adolescents.  Aoife has a strong interest in and considerable experience working with Transgender/gender-diverse adolescents and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. She also likes to work with parents who need support, a space to breathe, and freedom to explore what is arising for them. Her city centre practice affirms all neurodiversity and identities. Aoife has a deep interest in people and the human spirit/condition, and believes in the power of positive, affirming relationships.

Aoife is also an academic lecturer with PCI, currently lecturing on the BSc. Programme and the MSc. Child and Adolescent programme. She is passionate about lifelong learning and is a PhD candidate at the Technological University of Shannon (TUS), exploring the meaning of relational safety in psychotherapeutic spaces.

 We look at the language around this topic and the fundamental difference between an acute illness or injury and a chronic or long term illness. We explore the impact of certain body parts or symptoms being the focus of attention and how this can impact a person’s sense of self, as well as a lack of trust in their bodies as conditions can flare up unpredictably. We highlight the fact that 80% of people diagnosed with autoimmune conditions are female. These factors have distinct psychological and emotional impacts which clients will bring to the therapy room. We clarify the role of the therapist to meet the whole client and hold the space for them to express the range of emotions they may be feeling safely and without judgement or an attempt to ‘fix’ anything as they may experience in other places.

 There are many other aspects and ones we may return to discuss in more detail in the future as we feel strongly how important it is to raise awareness of an issue which can remain invisible as both clients and therapists live with long term and chronic illness. I want to sincerely thank Niamh and Aoife for sharing their stories with me on the podcast. I hope you find this discussion helpful. 

Learn more about today's episode below:

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Insight Matters - Counselling & Psychotherapy Services Dublin City