Therapists Talk Therapy

PCI College
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'Therapists Talk Therapy’ – a podcast for therapists, by therapists. In each episode, we talk with expert practitioners in their field discussing therapeutic approaches, specialisms, topical and emerging issues, controversies and more. We want to showcase and add to, the professional and specialist knowledge in the area of counselling, psychotherapy and mental health in Ireland. A podcast series from PCI College, Ireland's leading provider of third-level education in the fields of Counselling & Psychotherapy. Learn more by visiting www.pcicollege.ie or write to us at enquiries@pcicollege.ie.

  1. FEB 3

    Ep. 40 | Social Justice in the Therapy Room

    I am delighted to discuss the topic of social justice and therapy with my guest Shane Hickey-O’Mara. We explore what it is like to be a therapist working today with the many political, social and cultural issues which are impacting both the therapist and client. I feel Shane brings a unique insight to this conversation as he is both a qualified psychotherapist who graduated from PCI College in 2024 and in the same year was elected as a local councillor for the Social Democrats and proudly represents Limerick City North on Limerick City & County Council.    Shane works as a freelance integrative psychotherapist and as a Sessional Therapist with GOSHH in Limerick City and is also a member of the Violet Psychology therapist collective, working primarily with LGBTQIA+ & Neurodivergent clients. Currently, he is studying for a Diploma in Integrative Adolescent Psychotherapy with the Greenane Centre.   Outside of psychotherapy, Shane is a Theatre Director who has worked with theatre groups locally, nationally, and internationally since 2011. From 2020-2024, Shane was the Artistic Director of County Limerick Youth Theatre. He is passionate about the intersection of creative work, arts facilitation, and psychotherapy. Shane lives in Limerick with his husband, Emmett, and two year old dog Obie.    In the episode, we explore what drew Shane to both psychotherapy and politics and how these aspects of his life inform each other. He believes that there is a strong crossover of skills and that therapists are well placed for political activity. We discuss the inherently political nature of therapeutic work and the range of ways which therapists can take action, in line with their ethics and values, which can help to mitigate against feelings of overwhelm or hopelessness which can result from this work.

    1h 1m

  2. JAN 8

    Ep. 39 | To Call Myself Beloved - A Client's Perspective of Therapy

    This episode is all about hearing the clients perspective on what therapy is like. Eina McHugh is a creativity and creative leadership expert, a coach, educator, trainer, speaker and consultant.   An Entrepreneurial Specialist with University College Dublin’s Innovation Academy, an Irish Fulbright Scholar and an Associate of the Institute of Public Administration, Eina leads at the forefront of experiential learning and human development. She supports people, from all backgrounds, to express creativity in life and leadership.  She is also an author of the acclaimed memoir,  'To Call Myself Beloved', first published by New Island Books in 2012 which remains a groundbreaking, hugely readable book, a classic appreciated by clients, therapists, and general readers alike. It has received a range of very positive reviews over the years including this is ‘a brave voice…a necessary perspective’ by the Irish Counsil for Psychotherapy newsletter, ‘reads like fiction but could help readers discover the rewards of caring for their souls’ by the Journal of Analytical Psychology and ‘a reminder of the power of psychotherapy, the extraordinary courage of the client’ by the Irish Examiner. I was delighted to speak to Eina about the idea to write the book, the process of both writing and therapy for her as a client and the act of sharing such a personal piece of writing with the world. Her book is available to buy on Amazon and I would strongly encourage students, therapists and clients to read it.  Readers can directly contact Eina on einamchugh@gmail.com

    1 hr

  3. 12/01/2025

    Ep. 38 | Long term and chronic illness - a personal and professional perspective

    Niamh is an accredited psychotherapist with over 10 years’ experience. She runs a busy private practice, is an associate lecturer with PCI College, and is a mother of two children. She is living with a long-term illness and so brings both professional expertise and personal insight to her work in trauma and mental health. Aoife currently works in private practice in Insight Matters in Dublin, working with both adults and adolescents.  Aoife has a strong interest in and considerable experience working with Transgender/gender-diverse adolescents and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. She also likes to work with parents who need support, a space to breathe, and freedom to explore what is arising for them. Her city centre practice affirms all neurodiversity and identities. Aoife has a deep interest in people and the human spirit/condition, and believes in the power of positive, affirming relationships. Aoife is also an academic lecturer with PCI, currently lecturing on the BSc. Programme and the MSc. Child and Adolescent programme. She is passionate about lifelong learning and is a PhD candidate at the Technological University of Shannon (TUS), exploring the meaning of relational safety in psychotherapeutic spaces.  We look at the language around this topic and the fundamental difference between an acute illness or injury and a chronic or long term illness. We explore the impact of certain body parts or symptoms being the focus of attention and how this can impact a person’s sense of self, as well as a lack of trust in their bodies as conditions can flare up unpredictably. We highlight the fact that 80% of people diagnosed with autoimmune conditions are female. These factors have distinct psychological and emotional impacts which clients will bring to the therapy room. We clarify the role of the therapist to meet the whole client and hold the space for them to express the range of emotions they may be feeling safely and without judgement or an attempt to ‘fix’ anything as they may experience in other places.  There are many other aspects and ones we may return to discuss in more detail in the future as we feel strongly how important it is to raise awareness of an issue which can remain invisible as both clients and therapists live with long term and chronic illness. I want to sincerely thank Niamh and Aoife for sharing their stories with me on the podcast. I hope you find this discussion helpful.  Learn more about today's episode below: http://Www.aoiferyan.ie Insight Matters - Counselling & Psychotherapy Services Dublin City

    1h 1m

  4. 11/03/2025

    Ep. 37 | Contracting with Clients as a Therapeutic Frame

    Today, we are discussing contracting with our clients and exploring what this means in theory and practice. We discuss how a therapist's understanding of, and comfort with, contracting can evolve through their career so that the contract provides a therapeutic frame for the work, as opposed to something which can feel like a block or needs to be gotten out of the way so the real work can begin. I am delighted to be joined by David Kelly and Colm Early for this episode. David Kelly is a pre-accredited Counsellor and Psychotherapist with the IACP. He runs a private practice in Dublin with a focus on long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy, and is currently completing an MSc in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy at Trinity College Dublin. David has published and presented research on the psychodynamics of scrolling, and previously coordinated the PCI Counselling Service. He now supports students as a Student Development and Progression Officer and associate lecturer with the College. In addition, he works with Spectrum Life as a Client Care Counsellor in an EAP setting. Colm works as a clinical supervisor, psychotherapist and faculty lecturer with PCI College. He is year head for year two on the BSc programme. He maintains a private practice online, and he is interested in cross-cultural counselling and the psychoanalytic discourse.

    48 min

  5. 10/01/2025

    Ep. 36 | Willie Egan on 125 West St. Episode

    Welcome back to a new season of the Therapists Talk Therapy podcast. We are starting off with a friend of the College, Willie Egan. We discuss the publication of his first novel, '125 West St.' which includes an exploration of how he came to be a therapist, the role that PCI College co-founder Liam McCarthy played, the process of writing the book and Willie's way of incorporating his authentic self and creativity in his work. We also discuss the need to take some risks and try new things in life. '125 West St.' is out now on Amazon and Kindle and will be released shortly on Audible.

    41 min

  6. 07/01/2025

    Ep. 35 | Eating Disorder Symptomatology in Orthorexia: A Qualitative Exploration

    This is the second of our Graduate Webinar episodes where we speak to the runner-up of the Martin Kitterick Award. This award is given to a fourth-year BSc thesis judged to be of very high quality with relevant and contemporary knowledge that deserves to be shared with the wider profession. This is a recording of a live event that was held recently for PCI students and alumni. I was delighted to be joined by faculty lecturers Colm Early and Ramesh Ramsahoye for the discussion. Our guest speaker is Lynn McGovern, and her thesis is titled 'Eating Disorder Symptomatology in Orthorexia: A Qualitative Exploration'. Orthorexia is not an official diagnosis, but it is defined as an obsession with healthy eating. It can be hard to identify, as it generally does not focus on calorie intake and can take many forms. However, it is extreme and can have serious health impacts. We explore how disordered eating can present, the impact of social media, and the need to be very clear on your role in a larger team of support to work with someone with this kind of presenting issue. Lynn also gives us insight into the challenges of picking a research topic and her approach to research and writing through a lens of curiosity. Lynn McGovern is a psychotherapist and psychologist currently practicing in Naas. Her first study on orthorexia ("The experience of orthorexia from the perspective of recovered orthorexics") was published in 2021, and the material from her 2024 thesis will also be published in the academic literature. Having experienced orthorexia herself, Lynn is very passionate about this topic and would love to see it recognised as an official eating disorder. Her other areas of interest include neurodiversity, relationship issues, including domestic abuse, nervous system regulation, and chronic illness. You can connect with Lynn at www.lighthousetherapy.ie or on Instagram @lighthousetherapy_Ireland.

    53 min

  7. 06/02/2025

    Ep. 34 | Exploring the Impact of Psilocybin on the Psychotherapeutic Experience

    Welcome to our Graduate Webinar episode. This is a recording of a live event held for PCI students and alumni recently, where we invited the winner of the Martin Kitterick Award to discuss their research with us. The award is given to the BSc Year 4 research thesis, which is judged to be of a very high standard, with knowledge to contribute to the wider profession. This year's winner was Eoin Shanahan with the thesis titled 'Exploring the Impact of Psilocybin on the Psychotherapeutic Experience'. This is a very relevant topic, and Eoin approaches it with great care to explore the opportunities, the risks and the questions we don't yet have answers for. He aimed to humanise the data and make it more accessible for both clients and therapists. Eoin is a PCI graduate and works in private practice in Lucan. Please see his Instagram account 'woundedhealerireland' by clicking here. Please click here to read Eoin's thesis. A special thank you to PCI College faculty members Carol Gregg and Philomena Clarke, who hosted this event.

    1h 2m

  8. 05/01/2025

    Ep. 33 | The Role of Assessment Pre and Post Therapy

    Today, we are discussing the role of assessment pre- and post-therapy with John Wills. John outlines the many reasons he actively uses evidence-based assessment tools in his client work. These include identifying and prioritising presenting issues and symptoms, informing case conceptualisation, measuring risk and measuring progress. We discuss how these tools can be used collaboratively and in an empowering way with clients. We also discuss a specific assessment type, the Hogan Personality Inventory, which John offers to clients who are coming to the end of their therapy. This can help clients to increase self-awareness and compassion and support themselves in challenging future situations. John is a psychologist and CBT practitioner, specialising in anxiety disorders. He has a keen interest in the role of personality disorders in clinical presentations. John is a faculty lecturer and year head with PCI College and works with schools in the area of cyberbullying and wellbeing.

    1h 2m
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About

'Therapists Talk Therapy’ – a podcast for therapists, by therapists. In each episode, we talk with expert practitioners in their field discussing therapeutic approaches, specialisms, topical and emerging issues, controversies and more. We want to showcase and add to, the professional and specialist knowledge in the area of counselling, psychotherapy and mental health in Ireland. A podcast series from PCI College, Ireland's leading provider of third-level education in the fields of Counselling & Psychotherapy. Learn more by visiting www.pcicollege.ie or write to us at enquiries@pcicollege.ie.

Information

  • Creator
    PCI College
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    41
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Therapists Talk Therapy
  • Show Website
    Therapists Talk Therapy

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