Therapists Talk Therapy

Today we are discussing the topic of spirituality. This is a broad topic and one that can sometimes be hard to put into words, so I am delighted to be joined by returning guests, Gael Kilduff and Colm Early who share their perspectives. We discuss some definitions of what spirituality is and explore how it can inform your work as a therapist even if you don’t regard yourself as spiritual or ever sue the work with your clients. We discuss what it means to be truly present with your clients, to hold and provide the sacred space of therapy and to meet each client as a holistic person in their own world. We also explore what is needed by the therapist so that they can get out of their own way for these things to happen. Gael Kilduff is head of Counselling and Psychotherapy with PCI College and is an experienced supervisor and therapist. Colm Early is also an experienced supervisor and therapist, as well as a faculty lecturer and year two head with PCI College. This is an inspiring and grounding conversation and I hope you find something that resonates with you in it. 

Welcome to Therapists Talk Therapy. Today we are discussing grief and loss, with our guests Nuala McDonnell and Sharon Manifold. We explore the many ways we can experience loss in our lives, including but not limited to bereavement. We acknowledge the vital role therapists play in facilitating a non-judgemental space for clients to feel and express the wide range, and sometimes contradictory feelings which loss can raise. We reflect on the thought of therapists as professional grievers and highlight the role of self-care in this work. Nuala is a humanistic and integrative therapist working in private practice in Cork city and online with adults and adolescents. She is a part time lecturer with UCC and an associate lecturer with PCI College. Sharon is an integrative therapist and supervisor working in private practice in Co. Clare. She has a wide range of experience working with young people and adults in both individual and group settings and is an associate lecturer with PCI College. 

Today we are discussing anxiety and the cognitive behavioural therapy approach to working with it. We explore what anxiety is and how it can present in the therapy room, as well as the purpose and nature of the CBT approach. We discuss the empowering role of psychoeducation and explore some misconceptions of CBT, concluding that it must be integrated into a therapist’s way of working to be fully effective. My guest, John Wills, is a psychologist and CBT practitioner, specialising in anxiety disorders. He has a keen interest in the role of personality factors in clinical presentations and carries out assessments with people exiting therapy to identify areas of growth and future direction. John is a faculty lecturer and year head with PCI College and works with schools in the areas of cyber bullying and wellbeing. 

This episode is about exploring the counselling and psychotherapy graduate experience. We discuss how it can look and feel different for everyone, and how it differs from other professions where the path might be more recognisable. We explore the idea of transitions as you move from being a student with many options to explore e.g., working with an organisation or private practice. When do you finally feel like a ‘real’ therapist? We acknowledge the mixed feelings which may exist as you no longer have the network and structure of the college, while also feeling relieved about being free from that structure and its requirements.My guests today are Simon Forsyth and Sean Mullen. Simon is an integrative counsellor and psychotherapist with a specialism in writing/journal therapy and a particular link to the LGBTQ+ community. He graduated from PCI College in 2014 and works in Dublin and online. He lectures with PCI College and delivers our CPD workshops on writing therapy and Gender, Sexual and Relationship diversity. Sean graduated from PCI College in 2021 and works as a counsellor and psychotherapist in Cork. He brings his extensive experience of sales and management to his private practice which now facilitates 25 therapists, including trainees to work from his premises. He is passionate about mentoring other counsellors on this aspect also. Please see Simon’s website here - https://nozomicounselling.com/ and Sean’s website here - https://dochastherapy.ie/ 

We are discussing the themes of productivity and busyness raised by clients in therapy. We explore the difference which can exist between being busy and productive and the key role core beliefs play in our feelings and behaviours around achievement, rest and worth. We highlight the impact of technology on our availability and discuss the role of self-care. In particular, we highlight the importance of self-awareness to help us notice our patterns, to enhance our sense of choice and move away from a sense of restriction and stuckness.Linda is a psychotherapist, supervisor, trainer and associate lecturer with PCI College. She works with individuals, couples and groups in therapeutic and corporate settings. Eileen is a psychotherapist, Life, Career and Public Speaking Coach, and an associate lecturer with PCI College.Eileen spent over thirty years in nursing and nurse management with first-hand experience of the impact of stress, burnout and vicarious trauma.Please see Linda’s website here Therapy and Training - Treat Yourself to Therapy today – and Eileen’s website here - Home - Eileen Hopkins - Psychotherapist and Coaching

We are celebrating International Men’s Day in today’s episode. It takes place on November 19th and highlights the positive value men bring to the world, their families and communities. It raises awareness of positive male role models and men’s wellbeing. I am joined by Dan O Mahony, PCI Faculty lecturer and psychotherapist with Pieta. Dan generously shares his own story to demonstrate how society holds very strong ideas of what it means to be a man, e.g., what job you should have, how you should dress, how you should speak etc. He also shows the strong response to men who don’t match up to these expectations and how damaging that can be to your sense of self. We do discuss suicide in this episode and want to highlight the supports available through Pieta https://www.pieta.ie/ , the PCI low cost counselling service https://www.pcicollege.ie/counselling-service/lowcostcounselling and the International Men’s Day website https://internationalmensday.com/ 

Today I am discussing the topic of parental alienation with Brian O Sullivan. Parental alienation is a concept relevant to children and young people who inexplicably resist or refuse contact with a previously loving parent for no justifiable reason. We explore the history of this concept as well as the disagreement which exists around it. We discuss how it might show up in the therapy room through the use of case study examples. While it is usually worked with as part of a team, it is useful for therapists to be aware of how it might present in their work. Brian is an accredited family therapist with a particular interest in parental alienation. He has designed the only academically accredited postgraduate programme on the subject, in association with the Institute of Family Therapy and Systemic Practice in Malta, with students attending from around the world. He is the founding editor of the only peer reviewed journal on the topic, the European Journal of Parental Alienation Practice, which is devoted to scholarly exploration of parental alienation. Brian has previously worked as an associate lecturer with PCI College. Pleas follow these links to find out more about Brian’s work - : https://parentalalienation.eu/post-graduate-award-in-parental-alienation-studies/  and  https://journal.parentalalienation.eu/index.php?route=product/catalog

I am joined by guest Suzanne O Connor to discuss health psychology. We explore what it is and discover how it is relevant to the daily work of therapists. This includes the connection between our beliefs about health and our behaviours, taking the biopsychosocial context into account for health issues and providing a non-judgemental space for clients to explore their options around potential health treatments. We look at how Covid highlighted the connection between physical and mental health. We also look at the connection between health and ageing and how we can work with clients who have chronic pain. Suzanne has trained in health psychology at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. After completing her psychotherapy training, she works in private practice with clients who have physical health concerns. She sees this as a growing area for therapists and gets huge satisfaction from helping people to make real changes in their lives. She is also an associate lecturer with PCI College. Please see Suzanne’s website http://www.counsellingforwardireland.com/health-psychology.html for more information. 

Welcome to our second PCI Graduates Investigates episode, where we will explore the 2022 Martin Kitterick award runner up thesis by Claire Ambrose. Her thesis title is ‘Visual Journaling: An Empowering Process to Support Emotional Regulation and Symptom Reduction in Trauma Survivors’. This is a very interesting discussion which explores the theory and research behind visual journaling and creative exercises, and its many practical applications in client work. We look at what might make creative approaches challenging for therapists to introduce, both for themselves and their clients. Claire gives some very helpful tips on how to get started with creative approaches both as a form of self-care and in our work with clients. This is a recording of a live webinar we recently held for PCI students. We are delighted to host these as we want to highlight the quality research being produced by our fourth year students. The panel for this discussion includes Gael Kilduff, Head of Counselling and Psychotherapy and Shane Morrow, third and fourth year head. 

Welcome to our PCI Graduate Investigates episode where we explore the 2022 Martin Kitterick Award winning thesis by Louise Clinton. Her thesis title is ‘Lost in Translation? Therapy in a Deaf World’. It is a fascinating and extremely relevant exploration of the experience of Deaf people in a majority hearing world, and specifically how this impacts their experience of therapy. We discuss the importance of recognising Deaf culture and that Deafness is a way of being, not a disability. We explore the nuance of communication across sign language and the impact of having interpreters present, if they are available. This is a recording of a live webinar we held earlier this year, attended by students across PCI College. I, Margaret O Connor, BSc Programme leader, am delighted to host these events as we want to highlight the high-quality research being produced by our fourth year students. The panel for this discussion includes Colm Early, second year head and faculty lecturer, and Louise Brennan, PCI Clinical Manager and Certificate lecturer. Please see below for links to Louise’s thesis, the Irish Deaf Society and an image called ‘The Family Dog’ which we discuss. Link to read Louise’s thesis -  https://www.pcicollege.ie/page/news/764 Link to Irish Deaf Society - https://www.irishdeafsociety.ie/ Link to image ‘The Family Dog’ by Susan Dupor - http://deafcuture.blogspot.com/2015/07/7.html 

I am delighted to discuss working with addiction today, with my guest Keith Cassidy. Keith is the Clinical Manager of Smarmore Castle addiction treatment centre in Louth and is an associate lecturer with PCI College. We discuss what is at the core of addiction. We also explore the contradiction therapists often face where addiction is a common issue but can feel like something only specialist therapists/centres deal with. Keith talks us through some aspects of working with addiction in private practice, as well as discussing the residential setting. He also highlights the great sense of fulfilment which he gets from this work. 

I am delighted to be joined by a very special panel of guests to celebrate International Women’s Day, including Ejiro Ogbevoan, Black Therapists Ireland, Lisa Molloy CEO of the IACP, Gael Kilduff Head of Counselling and Psychotherapy with PCI College,  and Jade Lawless Academic Director of PCI College. They are all women in leadership roles within the counselling and psychotherapy profession who have a range of experience and different perspectives to offer. We have a wide-ranging discussion around the International Women’s Day theme of equity within the area of counselling and psychotherapy. This includes the significant changes within the profession in recent years as it moves from a volunteer to professional context. We examine how there are certain challenges which are particular to being a woman in this field, even though the majority of therapists in Ireland are women. We highlight the specific challenges which Black women and women of colour experience.  We discuss the potential differences between working as a therapist and being a manager, and guests share some tips on how to navigate leadership roles. Connection and support are key themes throughout the conversation, along with the need to always remain open to our own biases. While discussing important topics, this is a very inspiring and energising conversation; I hope listeners are left with food for thought and are inspired to find those daily ways to make small changes wherever you are.

Welcome to our third panel discussion on the topic of feelings. I am joined by three very interesting guests today. Majella Phelan is a PCI graduate and now lecturer. She has worked in private practice since qualifying in 2015 and is passionate about empowering clients on their healing journey. David Maher is an IACP accredited therapist with a private practice based in Kilkenny. He also works as a PCI lecturer and provides online sessions with Mind and Body Works. Ramesh Ramsahoye is a faculty lecturer with PCI College where he teaches theory, personal development and humanistic and existential psychotherapy. We talk about what feelings are, what they mean and what we can do with them. Feelings can seem threatening to people who haven’t learned the skill of, or been given permission to, connect with and express their feelings. We highlight the vital role of therapy as a place to facilitate this with clients, regardless of theoretical orientation. We attempt to put language on what can be an abstract topic and hope you find this discussion useful for working with your own clients. 

Welcome to our second panel discussion on the topic of boundaries. I am delighted to be joined by three experienced therapists, and PCI lecturers, Martin Rice, Mark Maguire and Margaret O Connor. We take a detailed look at boundaries and the theory versus reality of both setting, and maintaining boundaries. This includes the first session and contracting, but can also present in very subtle ways throughout the work. We talk about the extra challenge of maintaining boundaries in long term work and the impact of Covid and technology. Importantly, we highlight how boundaries are not about being defensive or confrontational, but facilitate the relationship, the therapeutic work and the safety of both therapist and client. I hope you find the discussion useful. 

Welcome to the first of our panel discussions. Today’s topic is supervision and I am delighted to be joined by a very experienced panel of guests to discuss this important topic. We have Gael Kilduff, Head of Counselling & Psychotherapy with PCI College, an experienced supervisor and therapist, who specialises in working with couples. We have Colm Early, a founder member of the Centre for the Care of Survivors of Torture in Dublin, and of the former HSE Asylum & Refugee Support Service in Drogheda. Colm works as a clinical supervisor and therapist. He has an interest in Employee Assistance programmes and Critical Incident Stress Management in the workplace. He is second year head with PCI College and lectures across the BSc programme. We also have Louise Brennan, who has worked with PCI College for over 11 years and is now in the role of Clinical Manager across all programmes. Louise is passionate about diversity, learning and singing.We explore the topic of supervision from many angles, including the challenges and benefits for both supervisors and supervisees, how to get the most from supervision and the supervisory relationship, and how not to steal you clients’ powers. We also share some advice for anyone considering supervision as a new career. 

Welcome to the second episode of the ‘PCI Graduates Investigates’ series. Today, we speak to Anna Zmuda Trzebiatowksa about her thesis research into the impact of social media on young people and their sense of self. Anna was runner up for the 2021 Martin Kitterick award which is given to thesis projects deemed to be of the highest standard and relevant to today’s society. The interview panel includes Shane Morrow and Linda Breathnach from the PCI Faculty team. 

Welcome to our first ‘PCI Graduates Investigates’ episode. This is live recording of the event where we speak to graduates about their research projects. In this episode, we speak to Lea Braithwaite, the winner of the 2021 Martin Kitterick Award for her thesis. This is awarded to the thesis deemed to be of the highest quality and exploring a topic relevant to today’s society. Lea explores the role of interactional justice within the therapeutic relationship, a very relevant topic as therapists and their clients are impacted by social movements and events.The interview panel includes Colm Early and Ramesh Ramsahoye from the PCI Faculty team.

In this episode, we explore the world of research in counselling and psychotherapy. This includes some of the barriers which can make it difficult for therapists to engage with research. We also identify opportunities for research to further enhance the great work already being done by therapists in Ireland. Our guest, Antoinette Stanbridge has previously worked with PCI College and is now Senior Lecturer and Academic Coordinator at the Irish Hospice Foundation.  She is currently working towards a PhD with Middlesex University on the topic od research in counselling and psychotherapy. 

Welcome to 'Therapists Talk Therapy', a podcast created by therapists, for therapists. Today we are in conversation with Eoin Stephens. Formerly, president of PCI College, Eoin has worked in the area of mental health for over 30 years as a counsellor and trainer. He is particularly known for his work in the field of behavioural addictions. Eoin served as Vice-Chair of the Irish Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy, and of Addiction Counsellors of Ireland, and was awarded the IACP Carl Berkely Award in 2010. He is currently focusing attention on understanding the problems faced by autistic adults and their specific therapeutic needs. He is autistic himself, having made the discovery in late adulthood. Information on his client practice and training events can be found at www.autisminformedtherapy.com Today we discuss what autism is and how our understanding and knowledge of it is rapidly changing. We explore how autism can present in the therapy room and how every therapist can be autism informed, even if they don't consider themselves a specialist in the area. This is a podcast series from PCI College, Ireland's leading provider of third-level education in the fields of Counselling & Psychotherapy. In each episode, we talk with expert practitioners in their field discussing therapeutic approaches, specialisms, topical and emerging issues, controversies. Learn more by visiting www.pcicollege.ie or write to us at enquiries@pcicollege.ie.

Welcome to 'Therapists Talk Therapy', a podcast created by therapists, for therapists. Today we are in conversation with Grainne Mooney. Grainne has been a practicing psychotherapist since 2003.During that time, Grainne's professional focus has sharpened and filtered through the lens of trauma. Initially facilitating individuals and groups following critical incidents and those with complex trauma in private practice, Grainne's experience and knowledge on the subject has both deepened and widened considerably in nearly twenty years. Her own testimony speaks to the individual's courage, ability to cope, manage and grow from very challenging situations. While maintaining a busy practice, Grainne continues to facilitate psychological first aid, workshops, supervision and lectures. Grainne facilitates the Professional Certificate in Working with Trauma for PCI College.This is a podcast series from PCI College, Ireland's leading provider of third-level education in the fields of Counselling & Psychotherapy. In each episode, we talk with expert practitioners in their field discussing therapeutic approaches, specialisms, topical and emerging issues, controversies. Learn more by visiting www.pcicollege.ie or write to us at enquiries@pcicollege.ie.