Well here’s a blast from the past! Routing through my old (OOOLLLD) posts I found this piece by Colette Keane in the Examiner entitled: Region is to get its first Counselling Psychologist (and that was me  –  nearly twenty years ago!! #eek)

THE East Cork region of Cork is due to get its first counselling psychologist by the beginning of February.

Counselling psychologist Ms Sally O’Reilly has been approached by a number of people to set up in Youghal, with a catchment area from Midleton to Dungarvan.

At the moment, anyone in that sector in need of such counselling must travel to either Cork or Waterford for professional counselling, which is obviously more expensive and time-consuming.

Ms O’Reilly feels that people who may have been previously thinking of availing of counselling services who might currently be disinclined to do so due the distance and effort involved, might be more likely to take that first step now that the service is more readily available.

While there are clinical psychologists, who mainly deal with mental health disorders and disabilities, working in the region, there are no counselling psychologists, whose brief is more to do with the personal development of the client.

Since qualifying she has worked in a variety of areas including women’s groups, physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, with bereavement and self-esteem issues being two of the most common areas. Other areas of experience include assertiveness and stress management training.

Ms O’Reilly feels that people who may have been previously thinking of availing of counselling services who might currently be disinclined to do so due the distance and effort involved, might be more likely to take that first step now that the service is more readily available.

And the rest, as they say, is history!