Ep. 23 | Spirituality in Counselling & Psychotherapy

04/01/24 • 57 min

Today we are discussing the topic of spirituality. This is a broad topic and one that can sometimes be hard to put into words, so I am delighted to be joined by returning guests, Gael Kilduff and Colm Early who share their perspectives. We discuss some definitions of what spirituality is and explore how it can inform your work as a therapist even if you don’t regard yourself as spiritual or ever sue the work with your clients. We discuss what it means to be truly present with your clients, to hold and provide the sacred space of therapy and to meet each client as a holistic person in their own world. We also explore what is needed by the therapist so that they can get out of their own way for these things to happen. Gael Kilduff is head of Counselling and Psychotherapy with PCI College and is an experienced supervisor and therapist. Colm Early is also an experienced supervisor and therapist, as well as a faculty lecturer and year two head with PCI College. This is an inspiring and grounding conversation and I hope you find something that resonates with you in it.

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Ep. 22 | Grief & Loss

Welcome to Therapists Talk Therapy. Today we are discussing grief and loss, with our guests Nuala McDonnell and Sharon Manifold. We explore the many ways we can experience loss in our lives, including but not limited to bereavement. We acknowledge the vital role therapists play in facilitating a non-judgemental space for clients to feel and express the wide range, and sometimes contradictory feelings which loss can raise. We reflect on the thought of therapists as professional grievers and highlight the role of self-care in this work.

Nuala is a humanistic and integrative therapist working in private practice in Cork city and online with adults and adolescents. She is a part time lecturer with UCC and an associate lecturer with PCI College. Sharon is an integrative therapist and supervisor working in private practice in Co. Clare. She has a wide range of experience working with young people and adults in both individual and group settings and is an associate lecturer with PCI College.

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Ep. 24 | Does Metaphoric imagery have a place in the Therapist’s Toolbox

Welcome to our PCI Graduate Investigates episode where we explore the 2023 Martin Kitterick Award second place thesis by Joan Kelly. The title of Joan’s thesis is ‘Does metaphoric imagery have a place in the therapist’s toolbox?’. We discuss how she came to pick this topic for her thesis, in tandem with her own exploration of the use of metaphor in her client work. She describes how metaphoric imagery needs to be a collaborative piece of work which helps to add depth to the therapeutic relationship as the therapist and client work to a shared understanding of the image. The image can also evolve along with the client’s process and can help to move past the narrative of what happened and connect to the associated feelings. We tend to use metaphors and images in everyday life so it is important for therapists to be aware of how they present in the client room to make sure they are being harnessed for their great potential.

This is a recording of a live webinar we held in March, attended by students across PCI College. I, Margaret O Connor, BSc Programme leader, am delighted to host these events as we want to highlight the high-quality research being produced by our fourth year students. The panel for this discussion includes Gael Kilduff, Head of Counselling and Psychotherapy and Colm Early, second year head and faculty lecturer. Please see this link to read Joan’s thesis - https://www.pcicollege.ie/pcicollegemartinkitterickawardwinner2023