Glisten

As I child I grew up in London where my mum worked as a nurse in The Priory psychiatric hospital. In those days (before policies & procedures) sometimes I would join her in her place of work, and I’d love nothing more than meeting people, finding out about their lives, holding their hands, and making them cups of tea! There was also an added incentive - a tuck shop on the premises where my mum told me she was paid through sweets to work there! This is my dream job I thought to myself! 

At that age there seemed nothing out of the ordinary about meeting such extraordinary people, who despite their struggles, always showed me such kindness, patience, and trust. Unbeknownst to myself it was the start of my mental health studies, and more uniquely, from the patient’s perspective; developing the foundations for the work I do to this day as a creative psychotherapist and group facilitator.

As a teenager I went to school in Chelsea. I adored the buzz of city life, gigs, clubs, dancing, and I couldn’t imagine my life anywhere else, until my parents stopped me in my dancing tracks and announced they were returning to North Kerry. Despite spending joyful summer holidays in Kerry as a child, London to Kerry was a complete culture shock to the fifteen-year-old me, and for the first time in my life I experienced an identity crisis, feeling crippling social isolation, totally alienated from my peers, the subject of racist taunts and remarks.

Yearning for acceptance, belonging, and seeking my new tribe, at the age of seventeen I returned to life in the city, drawn to the simmering lights of Dublin (there was a lot of fog in those days due to open fires) where I immersed myself in the world of theatre training in Bull Alley; later on collaborating with fellow graduates to

establish a devised company called Essential Theatre, influenced by key theatrical figures such as Keith Johnson, Peter Brook, Augusto Boal and Jerzy Grotowski.

I adored improvisation, ritual theatre and spontaneous ensemble theatre and gradually discovered that through the interactive warm-ups and carefully considered drama exercises I experienced learning not just on an intellectual or physical level, but on a deeper cathartic emotional level too. And with regular practise I was able to self-reflect on my learnings through para-theatrical techniques - working with my own internal dramas. I began to witness the transformative power of group work and collaboration, which lead me away from the desire to continue acting.

This growth led me towards a career in social care, working in the areas of HIV/AIDS, homelessness, substance dependency, refugee, asylum seekers, domestic violence, disabilities and LGBTQIA+ youth.  My community work funded my return to education and over the years I have continually improved my professional development, studying Leadership Skills in Playback Theatre in 2001 with The Centre for Playback Theatre, New York; an MA in Dramatherapy in 2006, from NUI, Maynooth; and a Diploma in Creative Clinical Supervision in 2012 with the Children’s Therapy Centre (CTC), Westmeath.

I have devoted my working life to engage with people living on the edges of society, and have over 25 years’ experience in the community, voluntary, arts and healthcare sectors holding leadership positions in all areas and fulfilling part of my childhood dream of establishing and curating an Arts in Health programme in St Patrick’s Mental Health Services from 2007-2017, and I still delight in working with many of the artists, performers and creative arts therapists to this day.

I offer process group work, change management and individual psychotherapy here at Glisten. I partner with other organisations, schools, universities, theatre companies and businesses to provide creative psychotherapy and mental health psycho-educational workshops.

My work as a Creative Psychotherapist, Drama-therapist, Group Facilitator and Arts in Health Curator is centred in group processes and the art of collaborative improvisation. I bring my background in the arts, guided meditation, community work and social justice to create experiences that make visible both current realities and emerging future possibilities for groups and individuals. 

I use a broad range of creative modalities such as, playback theatre, sand therapy, ritual theatre, music, art making, improvisation, working with stories and myths, sound and movement. It has been a privilege to witness how these creative arts therapies can allow people the space to process life’s challenges, to foster a sense of hope, and to consider new futures in their journey towards self-acceptance and mental wellness.

I am passionate and wholeheartedly committed to the value and importance of the creative arts therapies as a tool for healing, recovery and for well-being, and fervently believe that in Ireland they will continue to be increasingly recognised as valid clinical interventions alongside the more traditional therapeutic methodologies, as they are in other advanced countries.

I have supported a range of collaborative artistic projects with a mental health focus, including working on new theatre, dance, and music projects as a Dramatherapist and Group Process Facilitator. Facilitating an in-depth therapeutic process for a range of client groups and devised therapeutic performances and workshops.

As a graduate from CTC Creative Supervision, with a focus on Hawkins & Shohets’ 'Seven-Eyed Model of Supervision', some of the techniques for creative supervision include using small world objects, art making and sculpting, constellation work and role-play. In my work in theatre, I incorporate specialist skills such as expressive modalities, theatre action methods and sociodrama to emotionally support actors and cast members process difficult subject matters and scripts.  

I utilise expressive arts, projective objects, materials, and activities to engage young people and adults during an exploration phase of a therapy session, whilst sometimes remaining in the metaphor to assist a client deepen their understanding and emotional reach. ‘Staying out of the way of interpretation’ during a session supports clients as they journey through their personal expressions. 

My work as a creative psychotherapist is exciting and always varied allowing me the freedom to work with a number of great organisations and businesses such as with Insight Matters, TENI, STAR project, Innovate Communities and LGBTQIA+ projects.  In my work with the transgender community I provide a safe, warm and welcoming gender affirming space to support young people exploring their sexual orientation and gender identity.

The Creative Arts Therapies are an evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions for children, teenagers, and adults. This practice draws on research and theory from the fields of psychoanalysis, psychology, and neuroscience - Glisten

I adhere to Children First guidelines and policies and follow guidelines in accordance with the organisations I collaborate with and their accredited bodies. I am regularly garda vetted, have a full clean drivers’ licence, indemnity insurance and attend regular clinical supervision, training and CPD in adherence with best practice.  

* Opportunities to work with a variety of art forms and to learn different work and team related perspectives through embodied learning. 

* Enhancement of your knowledge of theatre in the process, exploration of the role of improvisation and action methods as an alternative intervention to problem solving.  

* Encouragement to be innovative, creating clear links with a wide range of theatre and improvisational methodologies, enabling you and your colleagues to respond effectively to different needs in a variety of settings.

* Encouragement to develop your interests and to follow your inspiration using the dramatic art form to create original models of working.  

* Learn about group dynamics and team culture to encourage effective and meaningful group dialogue and to bring the best out of the team.  

* I work with a wide range of clients from charities, government bodies and the private sector and facilitate both within organisations, and for groups of external stakeholders.