My Story
I was a people watcher from a young age and I have always been interested in people in general.
Especially our behaviour. Why do we feel the way we feel? What
makes us tick? Why do we respond or react in certain ways when
certain challenges arises? These are questions I needed to explore.
I grew up with a family member who was very lost and just could not find his way on this planet, I witnessed people trying to help him and this interested me greatly. It became very clear for me at a young age,
that people that suffer from depression, feel alone and are very much afraid of being judged because of the stigma around it. Through my
own personal experiences of bereavement and depression I would
like to share my experiences and break down that stigma.
I ended up experiencing this for many years myself, after the loss of my three month old baby “Sarah”. I was 19 and my life changed in an instant. I think I only existed for many years. Trying to cope with her death, required some of the most difficult work I ever had to do, I had to make a new commitment to living, it took me close to 15 years to actually mention her name. But with the right support I got there with the blessing of 3 sons and 3 more daughters. So to anyone who is going through such horrific pain, and as hard or impossible as it may seem, you will survive this. However the experience may change you. Allow yourself to grieve in your own way. It does not mean you will forget, but you will find a way to live with this.
My interest in mental health really started flourishing 5 years ago, I decided to educate myself. A seminar by Tony Humphries came up in Killarney, it was called “Whose life are you living“ and that was it. I remember that it felt like I had finally found that something I was always looking for... belonging.
It felt so natural From there on I applied for the interpersonal communication course in UCC, I found it was extremely important, that I worked through my suppressed memories first to become a therapist that can hold other people’s pain and 4 years later, with the support of my husband I finally finished and got my HDIP.
My aim is to be able to hold space for others which I find is incredibly profound. When you hold space for someone, you bring your entire presence to them. You walk along with them, without judgment, sharing their journey to an unknown destination. It is my mission to break the stigma that surrounds mental health and to help those that suffer.
