Irish Times Health Supplement Interview: ‘My Working Life’

Irish Times: My Working Life

I was interviewed by the Health Supplement  for this article which looked mainly at my work in Barnardos , as well as my private practice. 

Sally O’Reilly, a child and family bereavement therapist with Barnardos, says children are good communicators once you learn their language. Sally feels there is less of a stigma attached to the idea of therapy for children.

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Stay-At-Home Mothers

Evening Echo, Friday, November 5, 2010

I wrote this article in response to hearing a women speaking about being a stay at home Mum. She spoke articulately and honestly about  how difficult she found it, and how guilty she felt about that.

Of all the articles I’ve written so far this has received the biggest response. Continue reading

Returning to full-time practice

This was published when I decided to resign from Barnardos and return to full time private practice as Counselling Psychologist and Psychotherapist in East Cork and Youghal.

The Dungarvan Observer is delighted to announce that Sally O’Reilly is returning her successful Private Practice to 5 full days a week. Furthermore, she is now taking referrals for children and families.

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Attitudes to Prostitution: Glossing it Over.

This was my response to an article in The Irish Examiner looking at prostitution and trafficking, abuse and attacks on sex workers. The accompanying photograph was, in my opinion, highly inappropriate. Continue reading

The debate on the age of consent

I wrote this during a time where there was much debate on the Age of Consent in Ireland. In this letter published in the Irish Times I was hoping to encourage people to really think about the pressure our young people experience, and to give them a voice. Continue reading

Making women feel bad about themselves is a lucrative business

I wrote this over 15 years ago in response to a set of new advertisements on TV  that in my opinion promote and normalize  “age-related” cosmetic surgery for women. Both the Irish Examiner and The Irish Times published this.

I am a counselling psychologist working in private practice in Cork city and county. Last week a teenage client told me she was very upset because she could see ‘expression lines’ on her face.

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Our Attitude to Women – have we made any progress?

I wrote this in The Irish Times in response to figures published 15 years ago (!! ) on rape in Ireland.  I work with women and children who have been raped and sexually assaulted –  it is something about which I feel very strongly. And as I read it today, the week of the Tuam babies revelations, International Women’s Day 2017, I find myself wondering if anything has really changed?

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The Silver Ring Thing

I was interviewed by the Irish Times for an article on The Silver Ring. I spoke here about my experience with, and my hope for the future of sex education for adolescents in Ireland. Alarmingly, this was over 20 years ago – have we copped on??

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Blaming the Teenagers

This was published in both the Irish Times and The Irish Examiner. I wrote this in response to growing concerns and media coverage of teenagers and their behaviours. As a psychologist who works with teens I wanted to address adult behaviour and how that impacts teen behaviour. Teen behaviour cannot and must not be seen as an isolated phenomenon. Continue reading