Blathnaid is an accredited Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist and has recently just set up as a Psychotherapist in Drogheda, Co Louth.
Following 21 years of experience as a Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist and Mental Health Social Worker as well as Management experience within Mental Health Services. Blathnaid offers the following psychotherapeutic support/interventions within the following areas:
• anxiety, low mood, depression
• bereavement and loss
• deliberate self harm
• interpersonal difficulties including low self-esteem/poor confidence
• bullying
• parental separation
• family conflict/relationship difficulties
• adverse childhood experiences/trauma
• individuals/families experiencing loss, and family breakdown
• acute and chronic mental health difficulties/social and emotional (regulation) difficulties
• children and adolescents experiencing chronic illness and where there is a mental health difficulty
• eating difficulties/disordered eating/body image issues
• parent/family-based interventions
My Therapeutic Orientation
My overall clinical practice is largely influenced by psycho-dynamic and systemic orientations. Psycho-dynamic explores our relationships, past and present, and how this impacts our present behaviour; and systemic explores all of our systems from the family to the wider community. My experience to date enables me to work with longer term and more challenging difficulties.
The modalities (techniques and therapeutic methods) I use are evidenced based and include solution focused therapy, goal focused and cognitive based therapies. I have additional trainings in Narrative Therapy and Compassion Focussed Therapy (CFT) which is derived from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. CFT is a therapy with a strong evidence base that considers our biology, our thinking and our cultural influences. In Narrative Therapy we seek to find alternative stories to support the person in finding new identities (and solutions).
How I Work
I begin the therapeutic process with a comprehensive assessment with the child/adolescent and parent/guardian. This typically lasts for one hour. If the parent and young person feel that it would be helpful to come for therapy, we will contract for a number of sessions (on average 4-6). Subsequent therapy session are 50 minutes.
We then review together how the therapy is going. We may decide to finish or continue depending on the need and wishes of the young person. I will be guided by the person, I will ask for their view on how the therapy has been going, and what improvements they have noted. When working with a child/adolescent I include the parent at the review session and at any appropriate times during the process. I use a psychological measure at the start and end of therapy to gauge change and progress. I also set goals with the person which evidence has shown is a particularly useful tool to enable change.
When working with adults I also begin with a comprehensive therapeutic assessment. We contract initially for a number of sessions, and review periodically about how the therapy is going and determine ongoing need.
