As a qualified Psychoanalyst and Psychotherapist, I want to help people become the happiest and most fulfilled version of their perfectly imperfect selves.

Beginning almost 20 years ago, working with my own psychotherapist has made an unimaginable difference to my life.  Along with helping me understand the causes of my anxieties, the work I did with her opened a window to just how many people were struggling with mental health issues.  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 hostile, especially to women. “It is no measure of good health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society”.

The Therapy:

What I do – offer insight through the practice of psychoanalysis 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 all 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 them.

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. I have been working in private practice for over a decade.

When I decided in 2009 to change careers and become a therapist, It was deeply important for me to get a full scientific psychology degree first.  I had experience with therapists who did not have this and found myself up against many issues that made me uncomfortable regarding their lack of knowledge around medication, neuroscience, and the ongoing studies around how are brains are wired.  Some were lovely and extremely helpful, but simply just not enough.  Information is power, and the mind and brain are two different, yet intertwined things.  I wanted to be as informed as possible on both. Scientific studies in recent years have shown us that intergenerational trauma can be passed on through our DNA.  It has also shown how we physically hold our trauma in our bodies.  Beautifully, it has also shown us that we can undo this.  Our brains our neuroplastic, which means they can be retrained and adapted.  We are flexible, and we can heal.

I practice as a Feminist Psychotherapist. In addition to my professional training and qualifications, my style has been shaped by my experiences in activism for women’s rights. I share this information with you because my work in these areas and all the voices I’ve heard can sometimes inform my therapy as deeply as my training. People’s stories are powerful, and I work in a way in which people’s voices are truly heard.  Gender issues are an area of continuous study for me since 2010.

In feminist therapy, clients can expect to explore their individual identity, consider their strengths, and learn to use them to feel greater power in society at large. In addition to traditional talk therapy and analysis, a feminist therapist may rely on tools and techniques such as role-playing and assertiveness training to help clients build up their identity and self-esteem to the extent that they can behave freely, rather than conforming to cultural expectations or gender roles that others have deemed appropriate. The therapist may also employ bibliotherapy, or offering suggested readings on gender identity or societal power discrepancies; and reframing mental-health concerns by looking at them through a broader societal lens and then zeroing in on how they may be affecting the individual, ideally helping them to move away from pathologizing their own thoughts and feelings. Somatic therapy approaches, involving an emphasis on body awareness, as well as self-compassion and mindfulness practice may also be part of a feminist therapist’s practice.

In contrast to professionals who use other forms of psychotherapy, feminist therapists often share their own personal stories and challenges to help clients feel more comfortable sharing their own.

You can learn more about feminist psychotherapy here:

https://bebhinnfarrellpsychotherapy.com/what-is-feminist-psychotherapy/

Areas covered:

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

Anxiety; Depression; Panic attacks; Family isssues, romantic relationship issues; Abusive relationships; Loneliness and/or feelings of isolation; Disordered relationships with food, sex, drugs or alcohol; Sexuality; Parenting; Career stagnation, Burnout, work-life challenges and fears, difficult workplace relationships; Jealousy; Resentment; Hopelessness; Frustration; Anger; Shame; Guilt; Trauma; Grief; Relationship Breakdown including parents, friends, and siblings; Phobias; Weak boundaries

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