Frequently Asked Questions

Psychotherapy, or therapy, is a professional relationship involving a therapist and client, or clients, that may explore the past, present and/or future experiences in the client's life, including their thoughts, behaviours, feelings, challenges, triumphs and relationships. Therapy may focus specifically on one issue or it may be a more explorative process that looks at several aspects of the client's life. There are many different types of therapy, each offering a different perspective on the human experience, how we understand problems and how we can co-create solutions. 

The therapeutic relationship is co-constructed between the client and the therapist. It is a unique relationship where the attention and focus is centered around the experience of the client. This professional relationship is grounded in safety and respect. From this place of safety the client can begin to gently explore the issues that bring them to therapy and any other experiences that may emerge from the therapeutic process.   

Finding the right therapist for you is an essential part of therapy. The therapeutic relationship is the most important factor in co-creating safety, being able to deeply attend to the feelings that are present and to bringing forth transformation. It may take you several attempts beginning therapy before you find the therapist that is right for you.

Therapy may have been recommended to you by a family member, a friend, your doctor or healthcare practitioner, or it may be your own intuition whispering to you. 

People come to therapy for many, diverse reasons. You may have a specific issue you would like support with or you may be struggling with some part of your wellbeing, there may be a relationship you feel entangled in, parts of your life you want to understand more deeply, or perhaps you have habitual ways of being that no longer serve you and you want to learn to develop healthier, more nourishing habits.

You do not need to be in a crisis or at rock bottom to engage in therapy. Therapy may be the right choice for you if you would like to understand yourself, your relationships and your experience of the world more deeply, and intentionally live in a way that feels right for you.

Research shows online therapy can be as effective as in-person therapy. 

Therefore you only need to consider your personal circumstances and preference. At this time what is possible for you and what would you prefer to attend, in-person therapy or online therapy? There is no right or wrong answer, it is simply about meeting your own needs and preference.

Some of the reasons why people prefer to attend online therapy include:

• Attending therapy from the comfort and privacy of your own home, where you can find a cosy corner and get comfortable with a warm drink and blanket (if that sounds good to you) can feel really safe and comforting. You can even invite your pet into our sessions if you like :-) 

• Online therapy offers you the opportunity to connect with a therapist who you would otherwise not be able to consider working with due to distance. 

• Travelling to and from therapy may be time-consuming and may feel overwhelming with all the other demands of life pulling at your precious time and energy. 

• Online therapy allows you to access psychotherapeutic support even when personal mobility issues or wider travel restrictions that may be beyond your control (e.g. weather, pandemics, lack of public transport or limited childcare) may limit your ability to access in-person therapy.

Please note, online therapy requires you to have a stable internet connection, and to be able to access a safe and private space where you can speak freely and safely express any emotions that may arise. Online therapy is not recommended if you cannot access a stable internet connection and a safe and private space. In this instance in-person therapy would be a more suitable option to pursue. 

So in a nutshell, yes, online therapy is as effective as in-person therapy. 

It is simply up to you to decide which one you would prefer at this time.

Online therapy is not suitable for crisis intervention work or when a person is experiencing severe mental illness, suicidal intent or substance abuse. 

• If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts freephone Samaritans on 116 123 for nationwide support and assistance, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

• For support and information with substance abuse freephone HSE Drugs and Alcohol Helpline on 1800 459 459 from Monday to Friday between 9:30 am and 5:30 pm. 

• If you or another person requires immediate assistance freephone 999 for emergency support services. 

Please note, online therapy requires you to have a stable internet connection, and to be able to access a safe and private space where you can speak freely and safely express any emotions that may arise. Online therapy is not recommended if you cannot access a stable internet connection and a safe and private space. In this instance in-person therapy would be a more suitable option to pursue. 

I work online with adults across the Republic of Ireland who are going through challenging times, looking for support with some aspect of their lives or relationships, or who wish to get to know themselves better and become more intentional about the life they are creating. 

I offer support for a range of experiences, including but not limited to, anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, trauma, fertility, grief & loss, burn out and low self-esteem. I also support people as they make important decisions, move through life transitions or find clarity. 

Three core experiences my clients tend to share are feeling ashamed, feeling overwhelmed and overvaluing the big steps while undervaluing the power of small steps.

You may be facing a difficult decision, moving through a big life transition, struggling with trauma or with a relationship. Whatever brings you to therapy, you finally feel ready (or ready enough) to give yourself the time and energy you deserve to face the more complicated parts of your life with compassion and care, to come to more deeply understand what is going on for you, and to figure out how you move forward from here. Or perhaps at this point the pain of remaining the same has simply become greater than the fear of change. Listen to that feeling, it is your inner wisdom speaking to you.

You can learn more about who I work with here.

I provide online therapy to adults across the Republic of Ireland. 

You can attend sessions from any place within this region once you can access a safe and private space where you can speak freely and safely express any emotions that may arise. One of the benefits of online therapy is that you can attend from the comfort of your own home, if that feels right for you. 

In addition to safety and privacy, online therapy requires you to have access to a stable internet connection. 

Online therapy is not recommended if you cannot access a stable internet connection and a safe and private space. In this instance in-person therapy would be a more suitable option to pursue. 

I work with clients on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings 10am-1pm.

Unfortunately I am not able to offer therapy outside of these hours.

If you are not available to meet during these times I recommend you seek another therapist who can match your availability. It is important to find a time that is a good fit for you so getting to your weekly appointment does not become one more point of stress in your life.

Many therapists offer evening sessions and Saturday sessions.

I am a registered member of the: 

• Family Therapy Association of Ireland (FTAI) 

• Irish Council for Psychotherapy (ICP) 

• Association for Counselling and Therapy Online (ACTO).

There is no set amount of time for therapy. Together we will decide how many sessions are appropriate for you. 

You might find you need less time in therapy than you imagined, or you might decide you would like to continue with therapy for a longer period. Generally, clients attend for a minimum of six weekly sessions, at which point we will review our work and decide if it would be helpful to continue working together or to bring our work to a close. 

After our work has ended, you are always welcome to return to therapy at a later date.

Each session is 50 minutes long, including time to schedule the next session and bring the session to a close.

It is the client’s responsibility to arrive on time as lateness cannot be made up at the end of the session.

My current fee is €120 per 50 minute session. 

Payment is made online, in advance of each session. You will automatically receive a receipt of payment for every payment made.

I do not work directly with insurance companies. I take payment in full directly from the client.

However, as I am a registered member of the Family Therapy Association of Ireland (FTAI), the Irish Council of Psychotherapy (ICP) and the Association of Counselling and Therapy Online (ACTO) it may be possible for you to claim some money back if you have private health insurance. 

You will receive an automated payment receipt from me for every payment you make, you may be able to submit these receipts directly to your insurance provider to make a claim. I recommend you review your healthcare insurance policy and contact your insurance provider to confirm this option is available to you before you commence therapy. You might also want to request written confirmation that this option is available to you from your health insurance provider.

A cancelation policy is a way to respect the client's needs, the therapist's needs and the therapeutic process. 

The need to cancel prearranged appointments happens to all of us at some point or other. And repeated cancellations can disrupt the therapeutic relationship and process (there may be an underlying reason for this e.g. avoidance of facing a particular emotion or issue that is arising in the therapy, and that is something we can gently explore and process together in our sessions).

It is important to minimise the number of cancellations as much as possible in order to fully support a positive therapeutic experience and outcome.

If you cancel a session, as your therapist I will continue to hold space for the therapy we are engaged in during the scheduled session time. This may look like researching any relevant issues, doing some related continued professional development (CPD), reviewing notes and case plan, etc. 

The cancellation policy is as follows:

• Cancellations made less than 24hours before the scheduled appointment will be charged at the full rate of €100. 

• Any other cancellations, regardless of how much notice is given, will be charged at €50.  

• Appointments missed without any notice given will be charged at the full rate of €100.

If you miss a session your next planned session will still be made available to you.

The cancellation fee is paid before the next session. 

I understand that the privacy and protection of your personal information is of the utmost concern to you. I take your privacy very seriously. 

I have ensured all modes of collecting and recording your personal data (and sharing your personal data, when necessary and with your consent) are secure and in accordance with, but not limited to, the obligations of the European Union (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) and the Irish Data Protection Act 2018. 

In addition to collecting and recording your personal information securely, all our online communication takes place via a trusted, confidential and dedicated healthcare platform to ensure the most rigorous privacy standards are maintained.  

I understand that confidentiality is a critical concern when engaging in therapy.

Everything we discuss together remains confidential between you and I within the limitations of the law within the Republic of Ireland.

For example, confidentiality cannot be guaranteed where:

• there is reason to believe you are at risk of harming yourself or anybody else

• there is a child protection or vulnerable person concern

• an emergency situation arises during therapy, for example, if you have a seizure during a session, I would be required to call an ambulance.

The limitations of confidentiality are explained in full in the online therapy contract which you will have received, read in full and signed before we have our first session. We will then carefully review the limitations of confidentiality together in our first session to ensure you are fully aware of them, understand them and are happy to move forward with therapy.

The limitations of the law regarding confidentiality are in keeping with the Children First Act 2015 and the Children First National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2017, the HSE Safeguarding Vulnerable Persons at Risk of Abuse National Policy and Procedures 2014, the Data Protection Acts and General Data Protection Regulation. These limitations apply to all counsellors, psychotherapists, psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, doctors, nurses, occupational therapists, and all mandated persons.

Finally, I regularly attend supervision where I explore the work I am engaged in with clients, to ensure I am supported in the work, offered guidance, and ultimately that the client is receiving a high standard of professional care. Supervision is also part of my continued professional development (CPD). As with therapy, what I discuss with my supervisor is confidential within the limitations of the law. I do not disclose identifying client details, i.e. names or addresses, during supervision.

Therapy may end for various reasons and there may be different types of endings depending on the context.

Usually therapy will come to a natural ending when we both feel the work has been completed and therapy is no longer needed at this time. 

Throughout our work together we will review how the therapy is going, if progress is being made, if perhaps progress is stalling, and of course most importantly if you feel the therapy experience is beneficial and impactful for you. 

Usually we will have a sense of when we are coming to the end of therapy and ideally we will plan an ending date for our final session. The final session is an important session as it is a time to honour your journey through therapy and the work we have done together. During this session we will reflect on your therapy journey, review any plans we have made for how you will continue to move forward after therapy ends, there will be a closing form for you to complete, and then we will bring the therapy to a close.

And of course, you are welcome to return to therapy at any point in the future. 

An introductory call is an opportunity for you and I to meet to see if we might be a good fit to work together.

This is a complementary 15minutes call. This gives us time to ascertain whether I might be able to support you with the things that bring you to therapy, and for you to decide if you would like to work with me. 

There is no pressure on this call. 

I will invite you to briefly share with me what brings you to therapy at this time, if you have any previous experience of therapy and what you hope to get from therapy.

You might like to ask me about how I work, my training or experience, or you may have other questions you would like to ask me. I will do my very best to answer your questions.

If we decide we would like to work together we will arrange our first therapy session.

If however I am not the right therapist for you (which could be the case for several reasons) I will do my very best to signpost you to an appropriate therapist or service who I feel would be a better fit for you at this time. 

You can click on the link provided here to book a complementary 15 minutes introductory call or on any of the “book an introductory call” buttons throughout the website. 

You will be taken to my online calendar where you can select a time and date that suits you. 

Once you book your call you will automatically receive an email confirming your appointment. This email will contain additional information. Please read this information carefully.

I hope to meet you on an introductory call soon :-) 

We will arrange a time and date for our first session during our introductory call, should we decide to work together. 

This will be a recurring appointment, meaning every therapy session will be held at the same time and on the same day each week. 

Once we have agreed a time and date for our first session, I will send you an email confirming our appointment with a welcome pack with all the necessary forms for you to read and sign before we meet for our first therapy session. 

All forms will be reviewed together in our first session, and I will answer any questions you may have.