Beginning in 2004, working with my own psychotherapist has made an unimaginable difference to my life.  Along with helping me understand the causes of my anxiety disorder and certain relationship and emotional struggles, the work I did with her opened a window to just how many people are struggling with mental health issues. I decided to return to full time study and make psychotherapy my career.  I couldn’t imagine doing any other work with my life.  I was able to see just how much support we need, and deserve, in a world which is often difficult to handle.  In addition to my professional training and qualifications, my style has also been shaped by my experiences in activism for women’s issues. I share this information with you because my work in these areas and all the voices I’ve heard can sometimes inform my therapy just as deeply as my psychology training. Women’s stories are powerful, and I work in a way in which women’s voices are truly heard. I work through a feminist lens, and you can read more about Feminist Psychotherapy and how it differs from other therapies here:

The Therapy

What I do – offer insight through the practice of psychoanalysis, along with data around women’s specific issues in society, that will help you understand why we do the things we do and feel the way we feel.  Only then can we change our beliefs and behaviours.  I can then offer concrete strategies, advice and support to enable new outlooks, improved behaviour and choices, while also coaching you through difficult times as they are happening.  My therapy is of a conversational style with someone who understands the realities of the modern female experience -without presuming to know your unique experience. We do this work together and only at a pace that you feel comfortable with.

What I don’t do – act as if I have all the answers. Treat pushback as defensiveness. Be cold and authoritative. Not hear you. Judge your life choices. Assume that anyone other than you is an expert on your life. There is no blaming or shaming. Analytic therapy helps you to find out what your needs are, as opposed to being told what they are, and working together to discover what is best for you.

Qualifications

I have a BA in Psychology and an MSc in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, both from University College Dublin. The BA is accredited by the Psychological Society of Ireland and the MSc is accredited by the Association of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapists of Ireland. It was, and is, deeply important for me to have a full psychology degree first, having personally experienced working with therapists who did not have that level of study. Science matters, and the studies that continue in the field of psychology show just how much our brain wiring matters, along with showing us how we can rewire those workings. Trauma can be nurture AND nature, and is oftem carried through generational DNA.   I work through this lens as well as with the formative experiences you have had in your own life that have created pain and suffering.

Areas Covered

I have worked with issues including, but not limited to:

Anxiety; Depression; OCD; Panic attacks; Romantic relationship issues; Abusive relationships; Loneliness and/or feelings of isolation; Disordered relationships with food, sex, drugs or alcohol; Sexuality; Parenting; Career stagnation, work-life challenges and fears, difficult workplace relationships; Jealousy; Resentment; Hopelessness; Frustration; Anger; Shame; Guilt; Trauma; Sexual assault; Grief; Miscarriage; Relationship Breakdown including parents, friends, and siblings; Family estrangement; Phobias; Healthy Boundary Work.

If you think we could work well together and would like some more information, please do not hesitate to get in touch via bebhinnfarrelltherapy@gmail.com

There is no commitment after our first session and you can decide if I’m the right therapist for you, on your terms, as we go along.