Welcome,
I'm Ivan

I firmly believe that the main thing in successful therapy is a strong connection between a client who is motivated to change and a therapist who is willing to learn and both of whom work together to gain insight and a new way forward. With each client comes a learning experience whereby I aim to understand what life is for them, no matter what life has done to them—it truly is a rewarding and humbling role. 

Many of us overcome issues in life with will-power, persistence, and regular routines; but sometimes, that’s not enough: sometimes, we need support from a therapist who’ll give a safe space to talk it out and to work it out. To recognise this need in ourselves is a strength as it shows willingness to improve, to overhaul or challenge long-standing beliefs, to face fears or difficult emotions or experiences, and to take a chance in sharing some vulnerabilities. Click here for a sheet that explores "Should I Start Therapy?"

By being genuinely present with people as they explore the issues that have brought them to therapy, I provide a comfortable space with the use of compassion, empathy, acceptance, confidentiality, kindness, warmth, and my knowledge and experience of counselling psychology.

Experience

As a psychotherapist and counsellor for about 13 Years, I am experienced in helping people to explore, understand, and/or overcome a wide variety of issues, including, but not limited to: anxiety, bereavement, depression, existentialism, general counselling, grief and loss, identity, LGB, loneliness, men’s issues, personal growth, poor confidence, relationships, sexuality, self-harm, shame, and uncertainty.

​Over the past 20 Years, I also have a range of experience in other fields of psychology, e.g., Applied Behaviour Analysis with people with ASD and maladaptive behaviours, Life Skills and Emotional and Behavioural Care with young people in residential care, Emotional Support in a Voluntary setting as a former Director of Samaritans, Kilkenny & Carlow branch, and research into the psychology of languages.

Approach

As an integrative psychotherapist and counsellor, I draw on theories of CBT, Rogerian/person-centred, existentialism, motivational interviewing, and focussing techniques.
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With each client, comes a new person and a new range of experiences, life events, goals, and expectations. My main aim is to help each client to gain insight and to discover a way forward.

​Qualifications

PhD Education
MSc Counselling & Psychotherapy
BSc Psychology
Dip Integrative Supervision
Certificate (Level 9) CBT
​Certificates in Mediation

​Affiliations

Accredited member of the IACP: ​Irish Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (M10557)
Registered Member of the BACP: British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (420031).

About Therapy

Counselling and Psychotherapy are broad areas that can be difficult to briefly define and differentiate. Mainly though, counselling and psychotherapy share many similarities and both are types of talk therapy that help clients explore their thoughts and feelings. Whilst I use the terms interchangeably throughout this website, psychotherapy is considered to address deeper and broader issues than counselling does which is often shorter-term and focuses on less issues as presented by the client. 

​Regarding counsellors and therapists, there is a broad range of approaches, backgrounds, and personalities. Similarly, clients, and their reasons to attend therapy, vary too. Often people attend therapy to talk about a specific issue or issues (e.g., grief, depression, anxiety, identity, relationship, or trauma) or an issue that’s vague yet comes with the strong feeling that things “aren’t quite right”. ​

Client is Primary

​Ideally, counselling proceeds at a pace and through terrain that suits the client; after all, the client is primary. Counselling gives a place for clients to be vulnerable yet safe, to explore yet be secure, to be open yet not judged, and to be free and accepted.

Client's Space

Counselling is a process whereby clients can explore and gain better understanding of their own thoughts, feelings, beliefs, values, etc.; a space to be heard in a non-judgemental, confidential, and patient way and to be supported and understood by a knowledgeable professional. The aims are to grow, to gain insights, to create (better) ways to cope, to adapt behaviours, to see choices, to increase control, to find direction, to feel better, and to improve life. ​

Connecting

Therapy ought to be, and mainly is, a positive experience for the client (and therapist), ultimately hinging on how well the client and therapist connect and their work flows, being genuine and trusting of the process, and being willing to continue the work inside and outside of the therapy room. Naturally, clients’ experiences vary—and gains can be immediate or gradual, lifelong or brief, huge or minimal—but when it works, it is profound and life-enhancing! 

Past, Now, Future

Counselling can focus on the past, present, and/or future depending on clients’ issues, needs, goals, or preferences. Counselling can help clients to focus on the past to gain closure and/or understanding of what occurred in their life; it can focus on clients’ current situation and how better to improve it or accept it; it can focus on the future with the aims to achieving certain goals. Counselling helps to give clarity and to review where we were, are, and going in our own life.

Appointments

I'm as flexible as possible and offer therapy sessions for Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday from morning to evening. 

Fee

The fee is €70 per session, paid at the end of each session with Cash, Zippay, or Online Banking Transfer.  Therapy sessions last 50 Minutes; supervision, 60 Minutes.

Locations

I work online video and telephone mainly. In-person therapy is in Teach Bhride, Tullow and O'Brien Road, Carlow Town.

Call me to Arrange a Session