Shelly MacSweeney
Counsellor and Psychotherapist in Blackrock, Co. Dublin
BSc, H. Dip, M.A., IACP Accredited
Hello, I’m Shelly.
I hope I can help you.
I know that choosing a therapist can be daunting. Please know that I understand. There are so many therapists and types of therapy, it’s hard to know which will suit you best.
Taking the first step on the therapeutic journey is a brave one. Taken together with your therapist, this journey should leave you feeling empowered to manage whatever life throws at you.
How I can help
The terms counselling, psychotherapy and therapy are almost interchangeable. Counselling is usually short-term work to help a client deal with a single traumatic event or an upcoming challenge.
Psychotherapy (or “therapy”) is usually more long term, looking at a wide variety of issues and their deep-rooted causes. The theory and skills of both overlap a lot. I offer both short and long-term work.
Whether you come for one session, or a hundred and one, I am confident you will come away with something that will help you.
I work with a wide variety of issues including anxiety, depression, grief, loss, self-harm, suicidal ideation, work-life balance, self-worth, relationship issues, sexuality issues, LGBTQI+ friendly and trauma (both PTSD and Complex PTSD).
I have personal and professional experience in a variety of pregnancy related issues including birth trauma and matresence (the transition to motherhood), pre and post abortion support, fertility issues, adoption, post-natal depression and miscarriage.
I have a particular interest in childhood emotional neglect and developmental trauma. With the right support, deep wounds from childhood can be healed.
I provide professional, warm and respectful support for individuals 18 years and over through one-to-one sessions. I am also available for online sessions.
About me
I was a nurse in the emergency department for 15 years, finishing as a nurse manager. It was a privilege to care for people and their families as they went through difficult times.
That career gave me invaluable experience. It also showed me how talk therapy can bring enormous benefits to anyone, no matter what their background or the challenges they face. Therapy can help us through a crisis in the short term. It can also help us develop the strength to live our best lives over the long term.
I was so drawn to therapy that I retrained as a psychotherapist over several years.
I have a B.Sc. (Hons) in Nursing from University of Limerick; a Higher Diploma In Counselling and Psychotherapy, and a M.A. in Psychotherapy, both from Dublin Business School. I did my pre-accreditation work in the Mater Hospital, Department of Adult Psychiatry.
I hold a practitioner’s certificate in CBT. I am also an accredited member of the Irish Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP).
I adhere to the code of ethics of the IACP. I attend regular supervision and keep up to date by attending regular continuous professional development study days.
My Approach
I work from a humanistic, integrative, psychodynamic, CBT, person-centred, psychoeducational perspective.
So what does that mean? Well no two people are the same so I use different approaches depending on each client and their personal needs.
The foundation of my approach is person-centred talk therapy, where we talk face to face.
Sometimes I also use other techniques to help the client get as much as possible from the sessions. These can include:
- drawing
- music
- poetry
- meditation
- book suggestions
- sharing TED Talks or other useful videos
Generally I welcome anything the client wishes to bring into the session that they feel may help the therapeutic process.
Locations and fees
My fee is €90 per session. I offer discounts for the unwaged.
I currently practice at two locations:
- Plus Blackrock, 67 Main St, Blackrock, Co. Dublin. Google map
- The Donnybrook Centre, Donnybrook, Dublin 4. Google map
These locations are easily accessible from Stillorgan, Blackrock, Booterstown, Sandymount, Dun Laoghaire, and Donnybrook.
What clients have said
“I have found Shelly’s counselling to be unmeasurably positive. She has always provided a safe and supportive environment for me to express and tackle issues.
She is invested, focused and genuinely interested in the wellbeing of the client, providing measured advice with new perspectives and challenges while all the time remaining empathetic.
Would highly recommend.”
A male client in his early 30s
Contact me
Phone: 086 370 5924
Email: shellymacsweeney@gmail.com
I may not be able to answer the phone straight away but I will get back to you as soon as possible, usually within 24 hours.
Feel free to use WhatsApp or SMS if you prefer.