Do you have an Irish background or have a connection to Ireland but are now based in Cambridge? Counselling with someone who understands your cultural perspective is often a good place to start. Speaking the same language cannot always be enough to overcome cultural misunderstanding.
Counselling and psychotherapy is an opportunity to explore your challenges, understand more about yourself and navigate a way forward. If you feel ‘stuck’ in your life, it can sometimes seem as if you are the only one feeling this way, and these feelings may be rooted in your upbringing, social norms, or your understanding of yourself. It can feel helpful to work with someone who understands your Irish cultural experience and is sensitive to particular identity issues.
About Me
I am an Irish person brought up in London, which gives me a unique perspective on the culture of being Irish whilst living elsewhere. As a therapist, I often work with people who are in Cambridge and have a connection to Ireland, for which I can provide culturally sensitive, trauma-informed and client-centred psychotherapy.
Irish Heritage and Mental Health
People of Irish heritage have a unique history linked both to the historical legacy of colonialism and Irish identity through the influence of religion. Whilst Ireland has forged a new path in its modern identity, research indicates that many mental health struggles in Ireland cannot be divorced from the intergenerational trauma of recent history.
My work with clients who experience mental health issues which are interconnected with their identity and Irish cultural experience is carried out in a collaborative and culturally attuned way.
As a person who has felt the particular experience of being both ‘Irish in England’ and ‘English in Ireland’, I am exceptionally attuned to approaching cultural differences with openness and an understanding of my own limitations. We can never fully ‘walk in someone else’s shoes’, but we can be open to hearing their experience. I try to walk with you on your journey, helping you work through helpful and unhelpful coping mechanisms and responses to the stressors and difficulties in your life.
If you feel my approach would help with your experience, or you feel that some of what you are experiencing may be linked to your Irish heritage whilst in Cambridge, please get in touch.
Central Location in Cambridge
The location at 10c St Edward’s Passage, is just off King’s Parade in Cambridge. The counselling room is a delightful setting in the heart of Cambridge, providing a discreet and confidential space for you to come and see me.
I am very happy to talk with you, in complete confidence, about what you are looking for and how your needs can best be addressed.
My Approach
My integrative approach draws particularly upon person-centred therapy. I use a range of skills to work with your issue. We cannot change the past, but we can choose how we navigate the present and future
Counselling and psychotherapy provide an opportunity to explore your challenges, understand yourself better, and find a way forward. By working together in a relational way, my work helps you to uncover some of the areas in your life which may be holding you back. These may relate to upbringing, social understanding or self-knowledge. Collaborating on the future direction of your life will help you reconnect with yourself.
I offer concession rates for students or counselling trainees.