For several years I was an accredited and registered psychotherapist with a number of organisations both in Ireland and in the UK. In the spring of 2010 I unsubscribed to all of the psychotherapeutic organisations to which I was affiliated (and others) due to the downturn in the Irish economy, notwithstanding maintaining my Registered and Chartered status as a psychologist with the PSI and BPS. The above psychotherapeutic organisations included;
• The Irish Association of Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy (Reg. 577)
• The Irish Council For Psychotherapy
• The United Kingdom Association of Humanistic Psychology Practitioners (memb. no. 148)
• The United Kingdom Council For Psychotherapy (memb. no. 4156466).
A brief chronology of my training, education and employment remit is as follows:
I returned to full time third level education as a mature student in 1990 having worked previously in a variety of settings within the caring profession, e.g. with homeless persons, individuals with alcohol dependency, individuals with mild, moderate and severe learning disabilities, and in youth work (for the latter I subsequently received a national award). I attended Sheffield Hallam University for four years studying a combined BA in Applied Social Studies with a Diploma in Social Work. In 1994 I graduated as a Social Worker with the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work (memb. no. 44129).
Due to an increasing interest in the psychological therapies which developed throughout this period, in 1995 I returned to formal education and completed a Diploma in Psychology, a Masters Degree in Counselling Psychology and then a Post Masters in Counselling Psychology. This was undertaken at City University in London where I graduated as a Chartered Psychologist with the BPS. Due to my specific interest in the psychological therapies I joined the United Kingdom Association of Humanistic Psychology Practitioners (UKAHPP) at this time and began the process of meeting the various criteria to eventually become a fully accredited and registered psychotherapist.
Before returning to Ireland in February 2001 I worked part time in two distinct professional capacities making up full time employment: (a) as a psychologist for GPs in three primary care centres across the London Boroughs of Camden and Islington and (b) as a medical social worker in both hospitals and in community care specialising for those with HIV/AIDS.
Following my return to Ireland in February 2001, private practice has predominantly specialized in the application of the psychological therapies (i.e. in counselling and psychotherapy).
Primary interests and specialism relate to the 'Psychological Theories of Personality and Behaviour Change', particularly in relation to theory and practice, process and outcome. and the differential effectiveness of the psychological therapies. Interests include brief solution focused approaches and specifically the in-depth psychologies, interpersonal dynamics and associated processes of psychotherapy.
 For those who are curious about the rather 'unusual name' of my practice – Iatrologos, it came about during a conversation with a colleague when discussing what it is psychotherapists do, viz 'heal' through dialogue. In this sense Iatro is the Greek word for HEALING whilst Logos is the Greek word for WORDS – HEALING WORDS. However, I am not fully satisfied with this, albeit, on the face of it, it is simple and makes sense to readers. In individual therapy, more is taking place than just words. There is an accompanying experience which is not possible to articulate or communicate sufficiently but which is significant in terms of its outcome for both parties and needs to at least be referred to in any discussion around therapy.
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