Many, many years ago one of my sons was diagnosed with dyslexia. At the time I didn’t know what dyslexia was or how I could help my son. I turned to teachers and psychologists and, well, was left feeling like I had been thrown into the deep end of a swimming pool and couldn’t swim.
I realized that, one, the teachers didn’t know enough to help my son and two, that the powers to be in the education system in Ireland wouldn’t be helping much anytime soon. Thirdly, I also realized that there weren’t many psychologists in Ireland at the time, there still aren’t.
I felt, as any parent would, I needed to do something about this. So I found the Dyslexia Association of Ireland (DAI) and contacted them. They told me how I could not only help my son but also others in the county in which I then lived in as well.
I advertised an open meeting and with the local support of the principal in my son’s school. Many people turned up that night. The DAI came to speak and it was well-received. I asked people at that meeting to help open a branch of DAI locally and a workshop where kids could come after school to have extra tuition to help them. So began a year’s long road of fundraising, offering teacher training and parent training through the DAI, but finally, we open our doors for children in the locality.
During this time I also started my own road to becoming a psychologist. I went to university part-time, raised five kids, ran the DAI branch and workshop locally. I also volunteered with numerous charities and my children’s schools – helping families, kids, and adults in developing themselves – along the way.
Easy, well no, busy, yes. As it turned out all my children have a disability. I lived out of my car most days, when my children were younger, but it became better as they grew up.
They’re all adults now, of whom I couldn’t be more proud. So, why I decided to become a psychologist was to help other children like my children, but why I stayed was to empower families and adults too.
When I look back over the last few decades I can see that I’ve always helped others. I started volunteering when I was sixteen. I’ve always felt that I was blessed to be able to do so and I’ve also gotten more out of it than I gave.
As a therapist, I work with individuals, couples and parents facing a variety of challenges in their lives. I create a safe, supportive environment in which each client can explore their concerns, beliefs, and hopes for the future.
My passion is to empower clients, by helping them to recognize their inner strengths and to face challenges and fears head-on, so that they can create the kind of life they deeply desire.
There are parts in most of our lives we would love to change. I wish I had a magic wand that I could use in therapy to help make people’s lives better. But I don’t, and neither does anybody else. Instead, we start with acknowledging and accepting what is. Once this is done we can work on what is important to you in your life and how you can work towards it. I work with my clients to help them feel courageous and empowered. To seek solutions to problems & difficulties life has thrown in their path.
If you or anyone you know has dyslexia please contact www.dyslexia.ie or Telephone: 01 877 6001 for help and support.