Counselling Psychologist, Somatic Psychotherapist and Facilitator
My work is devoted to the journey of learning to inhabit the felt sense of our body wherein we can learn to listen to the wisdom from deep inside our bones, attune to the language of intuition and instinct, reclaim exiled parts of ourselves from trauma, sit inside the quietude from where the Soul speaks and know again the wild beauty of belonging to our own selves.
Ever since I was a child my life has felt deeply rooted in my love for the journey of the soul. The invisible worlds of the psyche and spirit have always fascinated me and how they are in a continuous dance with the visible world. As a teenager, I immersed myself in reading psychology, spirituality and poetry. My soul was silently forging my path ahead.
My studies in Psychology began in 2003 at University College Cork where I completed my BA Degree in Applied Psychology. Shortly afterwards, I obtained my Masters in Health Psychology at the National University of Ireland, Galway. My Master’s research in the area of feminism, that explored female body image, was later published in the American Journal The Psychology of Women Quarterly. In 2012, having spent several years travelling and working abroad, I returned to Ireland and completed my Doctorate in Counselling Psychology at Trinity College Dublin.
“Learning to inhabit my own body became my medicine”
Alongside my studies in psychology, I explored many different spiritual traditions and body-based practices, spending time in ashrams, sitting many ten day Vipassana silent meditation retreats, studying shamanism, discovering the power of chanting, yoga and meditation. I started to dance, exploring the worlds of 5 Rhythms, Open Floor Movement and Marian Woodman’s Body Soul work. I began to weave these teachings into a daily practice in my life. Learning to inhabit my own body became my medicine.
I became very interested in how somatic based approaches can be integrated into the world of psychology and healing and how connecting with the felt sense of our bodies can be a doorway into presence. In 2015 I trained as a Hatha Yoga Teacher and shortly afterwards as a Yin Yoga Teacher. In 2016 I completed a year-long training in shamanism and in 2020 I completed a training in Open Floor Movement’s Therapy in Motion.
Over the past ten years I have worked as a psychologist and somatic psychotherapist with individuals, families, and groups in a variety of public healthcare and community based settings, as well as in a specialised trauma service. At present I work in private practice. I am also a guest lecturer on the MA in Art, Psyche and the Creative Imagination at Limerick School of Art and Design.
My Integrative Approach
Weaving together the worlds of psychology and soul, my integrative approach is deeply rooted in my intuition as well as in my skills as a psychologist. I draw on depth psychology, psychoanalytic theory, emotion focused therapy, internal family systems, and somatic based approaches such as somatic experiencing, sensorimotor psychotherapy, meditation, yoga and movement therapy. My approach is also shaped by my interest in creative approaches for healing and growth such as imagery, active imagination, dream work, art and dance. My deep love for Mother Nature and indigenous earth-based practices also inspire my work, particularly the wisdom from my ancestry of Celtic traditions and mythology. Many of my offerings are inspired by the Celtic Calendar and honouring the connection between the changing seasons and the changing rhythms in our lives.
My work is guided by our innate human capacity for healing and the inner wisdom of the soul, that when accessed, can guide us to live our lives with purpose, authenticity and joy. By offering a warm, safe, heartfelt space, my work is an invitation to re-discover and re-claim this inner wisdom and our authentic selves. This is the foundation that underlies all of my offerings which include consultations, 1:1 somatic therapy, supervision, group work, workshops, therapeutic yoga and retreats.
I am deeply committed to my own psychological and spiritual growth, and regularly attend workshops, retreats, supervision, and psychotherapy. I am a Chartered member of the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) and of the Division of Counselling Psychology.
“If you travel far enough, one day you will recognise yourself coming down to meet yourself and you will say -Yes”
— Marion Woodman