Therapists Talk Therapy

This is the last episode of this season and I am delighted to be speaking to a PCI graduate, Ciara Redmond. Ciara was the runner up for the Martin Kitterick Award for her BSc research thesis which is titled Irish Catholic Cultural Norms in Psychotherapy: A Qualitative Exploration of Psychotherapists' Lived Experiences. In this episode we discuss what brought her to research this topic and explore her findings. These include some important themes of belonging and isolation, obligation versus personal choice and comfort versus shame. Ciara discusses how these issues can show up in the counselling room and can present differently for different client age groups. She also highlights the importance of the therapist being aware of their own values and positions on the topic so as not to unconsciously influence the client. And she highlights the gap in training and CPD in this area.

After beginning her career in Social Care, working across the healthcare sector, Ciara transitioned into psychotherapy and now works full-time in her own private practice called Mind Yourself Therapy. Based in Wexford, Ciara provides both online and in-person therapy, supporting clients with a variety of presenting issues. Ciara’s research is very engaging and can be accessed at the link in the description notes for anyone who wants to read it, along with a link to Ciara’s Instagram account. I hope you find something useful in this episode and have enjoyed the season overall. I look forward to being back in the autumn with new topics to explore.

 Ciara's Thesis: Martin Kitterick Award Winner 2025 - PCI College 

Ciara's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mind.yourselftherapy?igsh=MXNsdXhleW4ydmdrcg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

In todays episode, we are speaking to PCI graduate Barbara Fiori about her research thesis entitled “My Beautiful Accent: The Experience of Bilingual Trainee Counsellors Providing Therapy in English as a Second Language.” As we discover through our conversation, this may feel like a niche subject but has relevance for a much wider audience. This includes anyone working as a trainer or lecturer with therapy students, as a supervisor and even for any therapist working with clients for whom English is a second language.

Barbara guides us through her research process and findings, highlighting both the strengths and challenges of working in a second language. She outlines how important it is to develop a professional identity and to explore people’s relationship with both their mother tongue and second language. Barbara was awarded the Martin Kitterick Award from PCI College and recently received the IACP Undergraduate Research Excellence Award. Barbara is now a pre-accredited integrative counsellor and psychotherapist with the IACP. She works with adults in private practice in Cork and Online. She is a native Spanish speaker, and offers therapy both in English and Spanish. We are so proud of her achievement and very meaningful contribution to the wider therapy literature. Please read Barbara's research at this link https://www.pcicollege.ie/news/martin-kitterick-award-winner-2025/ 

I am delighted to be joined by PCI Lecturer, Simon Forsyth for a slightly different conversation today. Simon has written an essay called ‘On Flipping & Reversing: Life Lessons from Creativity, Diversity and Women in Hip-Hop’ which encompasses some thoughts, memories, learnings, and unlearnings related to an array of influences on his life and therapeutic practice, including music, Black feminism, personal power, writing, and collaborating. This is a really fascinating and thought-provoking piece of writing which I encourage you to read for yourself through the link in the episode description. We allowed the themes to carry us and no doubt went on a few tangents but I really enjoyed this conversation and hope you do too. While it is personal to Simon’s life, the themes of belonging, self-acceptance and the challenges we experience to these at various systemic levels and times in our lives feel universal and hugely relevant to both therapists and clients.

Simon is an integrative psychotherapist, educator, writer, and music fan, with a

passion for creativity and encouraging this in others. He works in Dublin and online, with a particular link to creative, neurodivergent, and LGBTQ+ folks. His training in the areas of writing and creativity includes a Practitioner Certificate in Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes; Journal to the Self instructor training; and creativity coaching trainings with Dr Eric Maisel. In addition to counselling and psychotherapy, Simon also offers support sessions specifically for people looking for some assistance with their creative processes, and mentoring for fellow educators, facilitators, and therapists. He lectures with PCI College and delivers our workshops on Life Writing and Gender, Sexual and Relationship Diversity.

Simon’s self-published essay ‘On Flipping & Reversing: Life Lessons from Creativity, Diversity and Women in Hip-Hop’ can be downloaded at https://nozomicounselling.com/on-flipping-and-reversing/

Sources referenced in the episode:
Hersey, T. (2022). Rest is resistance: Free yourself from grind culture and reclaim your life. Aster.
Inman, D. (2024). Rapsody introduces Marlanna in ‘Please Don’t Cry’ album.
https://www.vibe.com/music/music-news/rapsody-please-dont-cry-album-interview-1234878228/
Lorde, A. (2020). When I dare to be powerful. Penguin
Taylor, F. (2023). Unruly therapeutic: Black feminist writings and practices in living room. W. W. Norton & Co
 

Today’s episode explores the concept of spiritual bypassing which refers to the use of spiritual practices and beliefs to avoid dealing with our painful feelings, unresolved wounds and developmental needs. We use the book ‘Spiritual Bypassing – When spirituality disconnects us from what really matters’ by Robert Masters to guide the discussion. I am delighted to be joined by two PCI Faculty lecturers, Ramesh Ramsahoye and Andrew Twomey for this discussion.

Andrew is an IACP accredited integrative counsellor and psychotherapist and clinical supervisor, who works in private practice in Cork and online, since 2010. He holds a BA degree and MA in Counselling and Psychotherapy from CIT (Now MTU). He works with PCI College in various roles including Certificate Programme Leader, Faculty Lecturer, & Academic Team Leader for Cork.

Ramesh works for PCI College as a Faculty Lecturer, module leader and Academic Team Leader for Kilkenny. Before qualifying as a counsellor, Ramesh taught Art and Art History at secondary level and was also involved in student support. He runs a thriving private practice, Wexford Counselling Service, and enjoys writing articles for publication on diverse topics in the fields of art history and counselling and psychotherapy.

In this episode, we spend time with the concept of spiritual bypassing and explore what it means for our work as therapists in terms of how it can show up with clients but also what it means for our own shadow work so that we can fully support clients. We ground ourselves in the purpose of therapy which is integration of all aspects of being human and look at how spirituality, in its various forms, can play an important role in that. 

I am delighted to be discussing the topic of menopause in relation to counselling and psychotherapy with my guest Niamh Daly. Niamh has been teaching Hatha Yoga since 2004 and is a registered Senior Teacher and Teacher Trainer. She holds an Advanced Diploma in Nutrition Coaching, is a Pilates Mat 1 & 2 teacher and is a Somatic Education Coach. She specialises in menopause for movement professionals and talk therapists, providing balanced, evidence-based training, information and support. Her book ‘Yoga for Menopause and Beyond’ was published in 2024. She runs a range of CPD courses including an IACP accredited course ‘Menopause Awareness and Strategies for Psychotherapists and Counsellors’. Full details for her classes, book and courses can be found at www.yinstinctyoga.com

Menopause is receiving a lot of focus recently and in this episode, we take some time to define the relevant terms including late reproductive stage, perimenopause, menopause and post menopause. We explore how these stages can impact people physically, mentally and emotionally. This conversation highlights the many ways in which counselling and psychotherapy can help to support people experiencing the variety of symptoms which can be part of this process and which can feel disconcerting and unpredictable. The role of therapy to allow time and space for reflection during a time of transition, to support informed choices, to provide psychoeducation and to feel all and any feelings is an important area for therapists to be aware of and to feel empowered to provide to their clients.

I am delighted to discuss the topic of social justice and therapy with my guest Shane Hickey-O’Mara. We explore what it is like to be a therapist working today with the many political, social and cultural issues which are impacting both the therapist and client. I feel Shane brings a unique insight to this conversation as he is both a qualified psychotherapist who graduated from PCI College in 2024 and in the same year was elected as a local councillor for the Social Democrats and proudly represents Limerick City North on Limerick City & County Council. 

Shane works as a freelance integrative psychotherapist and as a Sessional Therapist with GOSHH in Limerick City and is also a member of the Violet Psychology therapist collective, working primarily with LGBTQIA+ & Neurodivergent clients. Currently, he is studying for a Diploma in Integrative Adolescent Psychotherapy with the Greenane Centre.

Outside of psychotherapy, Shane is a Theatre Director who has worked with theatre groups locally, nationally, and internationally since 2011. From 2020-2024, Shane was the Artistic Director of County Limerick Youth Theatre. He is passionate about the intersection of creative work, arts facilitation, and psychotherapy. Shane lives in Limerick with his husband, Emmett, and two year old dog Obie. 

In the episode, we explore what drew Shane to both psychotherapy and politics and how these aspects of his life inform each other. He believes that there is a strong crossover of skills and that therapists are well placed for political activity. We discuss the inherently political nature of therapeutic work and the range of ways which therapists can take action, in line with their ethics and values, which can help to mitigate against feelings of overwhelm or hopelessness which can result from this work. 

This episode is all about hearing the clients perspective on what therapy is like. Eina McHugh is a creativity and creative leadership expert, a coach, educator, trainer, speaker and consultant.   An Entrepreneurial Specialist with University College Dublin’s Innovation Academy, an Irish Fulbright Scholar and an Associate of the Institute of Public Administration, Eina leads at the forefront of experiential learning and human development. She supports people, from all backgrounds, to express creativity in life and leadership.  She is also an author of the acclaimed memoir,  'To Call Myself Beloved', first published by New Island Books in 2012 which remains a groundbreaking, hugely readable book, a classic appreciated by clients, therapists, and general readers alike. It has received a range of very positive reviews over the years including this is ‘a brave voice…a necessary perspective’ by the Irish Counsil for Psychotherapy newsletter, ‘reads like fiction but could help readers discover the rewards of caring for their souls’ by the Journal of Analytical Psychology and ‘a reminder of the power of psychotherapy, the extraordinary courage of the client’ by the Irish Examiner. I was delighted to speak to Eina about the idea to write the book, the process of both writing and therapy for her as a client and the act of sharing such a personal piece of writing with the world. Her book is available to buy on Amazon and I would strongly encourage students, therapists and clients to read it.  Readers can directly contact Eina on [email protected] 

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:

http://Www.aoiferyan.ie

Insight Matters - Counselling & Psychotherapy Services Dublin City

Today, we are discussing contracting with our clients and exploring what this means in theory and practice. We discuss how a therapist's understanding of, and comfort with, contracting can evolve through their career so that the contract provides a therapeutic frame for the work, as opposed to something which can feel like a block or needs to be gotten out of the way so the real work can begin. I am delighted to be joined by David Kelly and Colm Early for this episode. David Kelly is a pre-accredited Counsellor and Psychotherapist with the IACP. He runs a private practice in Dublin with a focus on long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy, and is currently completing an MSc in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy at Trinity College Dublin. David has published and presented research on the psychodynamics of scrolling, and previously coordinated the PCI Counselling Service. He now supports students as a Student Development and Progression Officer and associate lecturer with the College. In addition, he works with Spectrum Life as a Client Care Counsellor in an EAP setting. Colm works as a clinical supervisor, psychotherapist and faculty lecturer with PCI College. He is year head for year two on the BSc programme. He maintains a private practice online, and he is interested in cross-cultural counselling and the psychoanalytic discourse.

Welcome back to a new season of the Therapists Talk Therapy podcast. We are starting off with a friend of the College, Willie Egan. We discuss the publication of his first novel, '125 West St.' which includes an exploration of how he came to be a therapist, the role that PCI College co-founder Liam McCarthy played, the process of writing the book and Willie's way of incorporating his authentic self and creativity in his work. We also discuss the need to take some risks and try new things in life. '125 West St.' is out now on Amazon and Kindle and will be released shortly on Audible.