Psychotherapy Training and Accreditation
Lisa completed her training in Counselling & Psychotherapy with PCI College, and as a Couple Counsellor with the Irish Institute for Couple Counselling. She has also graduated with an MSc in Bereavement Studies/Grief & Loss from Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland’s Institute of Leadership and is a trained Complicated Grief Therapist. She is an accredited as a Psychotherapist and Supervisor with the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP).
Counselling and Psychotherapeutic Approach
Lisa is client-focused, working collaboratively with clients whilst drawing on her training and background in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), psychodynamic and person-centred approaches. Her warm empathic style provides a supportive environment so that clients can explore and uncover blocks that may be affecting their overall happiness and help them find better ways to deal with their problems.
Although many couples/individuals do well in therapy when they begin to identify and address the issue(s), some relationships will unfortunately come to an end. This may be because, for example, there is not enough closeness or the bond has been eroded to the point where it has left one or both parties unmotivated to make the necessary changes to repair and re-build their relationship. The focus of the therapy may then move into dealing with the emotional and practical aspects of separating. It can be life changing and is usually accompanied by upsetting feelings (either leading up to the separation or afterwards). Although natural, these feelings can be very unsettling regardless of whether you were the one to leave or the one who was left behind.
For clients who are struggling to come to terms with loss after bereavement, some notice that the reduction in their feelings of grief over time of does not happen. Essentially, their grief becomes stuck, leaving them with disabling and persistent symptoms that do not improve. Strong feelings of yearning and distress persist, often coupled with feelings of anger, guilt, bitterness, and an inability to re-engage with their life. This phenomenon is called Complicated Grief (CG). It is now recognised as a diagnosable disorder and can be diagnosed following a thorough clinical assessment as early as six months post-bereavement. Lisa works with an evidence-based treatment called Complicated Grief Therapy. This was developed by Dr. Kathy Shear of Columbia University and has been shown to be more effective than traditional “talk” therapy in treating CG.
Counselling Experience and Areas of Interest
Lisa has a particular interest in relationships and has been working for over a decade with couples and individuals who are experiencing relationship difficulties including communication and dealing with conflict, infidelity, intimacy, stress and stressful lifestyles that are affecting their relationship, parenting and growing apart.
In addition, she works with clients who are struggling to come to terms with loss that can range from bereavement (including infant loss), separation and divorce, illness, job and role loss, through to ageing and retirement, etc. Sometimes, people come into therapy so that they can figure it out and who wish to avoid over-burdening their family and friends. She is also an experienced practitioner in supporting clients who are experiencing stress (workplace and/or personal), anxiety, depression and low self-esteem,
A regular media contributor, Lisa is the author of ‘When A Relationship Ends – Surviving the Emotional Rollercoaster of Separation’ (Orpen Press) that addresses the fallout of separation and provides a useful guide for picking up the pieces and moving on.
Lisa’s fee for individuals is €80 and for couples is €100 per session
