Quaycounselling

Face to Face & Online - Woodquay, Galway

‘I believe we all have the ability to heal ourselves. Giving yourself time to explore oneself in a safe and non-judgemental space can be the first step.’

About

 

Welcome,

There can be times when family and friends are unable to provide us with the support that we need to deal with life’s difficulties. Through counselling we can develop the awareness and understanding we might need to support and heal ourselves or change any old unhelpful patterns.

My aim is to provide a safe, supportive and confidential space which can enable people to explore ones thoughts, beliefs, feelings and behaviours. During this therapeutic process we can begin to learn about ourselves and develop more effective coping abilities, improving our relationships and our over all quality of life.

My experience consists of time counselling at ‘Let’s Get Talking’ & Clare Haven Domestic Violence Refuge’ which enabled me to deepen my knowledge on working with survivors of abuse.

My experience supporting women within the Women’s High Support Service at Galway Simon community allowed me to utilise my academic studies along with my research and trainings while providing emotional & practical support to vulnerable women. The aim here was to help women experiencing homelessness and a range of different needs, trauma, and stressors to transition into independent living and have a better quality of life. This role involved consistently assessing risk within an oftentimes challenging environment.

I am currently a counsellor at Helplink non-profit organisation in Galway as well as my own private practice.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call.

My Approach

I offer my clients unconditional support in a compassionate and empathetic way while creating a safe, non judgemental space to explore oneself.

My approach is ‘Person Centred’ which involves recognising and respecting each clients unique individual experiences and working with people at their preferred pace. While Person Centred is at my core, I am an integrative therapist drawing from different models of therapy such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, REBT therapy, Psychodynamic, Transactional Analysis and more.

Personal growth is the core of this counselling service and although old patterns are hard to breakthrough, with patience, courage and determination you can change any negative beliefs or thoughts that might be affecting your life, leading to a more authentic autonomy.

Counselling can benefit people at any stage in their life. You do not need to have a specific issue to come for counselling, it can be a case of wanting or needing support to personally develop and improve ones mental health and awareness.

Some areas I work with include:

 

  • Anxiety

  • Depression

  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

  • Phobias

  • Stress Management

  • Relationship Difficulties

  • Sleeping Patterns

  • Anger Management

  • Critical Thinking

  • Trauma

  • Domestic Violence

  • Decision Making

  • Intrusive Thoughts

  • Low Self Esteem

 Testimonials

"Melissa is very kind and caring and she is a great listener. She gave me great advice that was relevant to the challenges in my life. She creates a relaxed and non judgemental atmosphere. I'd highly recommend her to a friend for counselling" - Jane

“I have been a client of Melissa for approximately 6 months and have always found her to be professional and helpful. In my sessions with Melissa, she was both non-judgemental and caring in her approach. I found her suggestions very helpful and her support was greatly appreciated during a very difficult time. I cannot recommend Melissa enough.” -Danielle

“My experience counselling with Melissa was really relevant and meaningful. I was devastated after my marriage broke down. It was a hard separation and an abusive relationship leading to a very difficult ending. I was lost and sad. I could not see myself in a good place. Melissa guided me through with nice words and advised me professionally. Every single word that Melissa said in our sessions was important to my process of emotional healing. Even though I am from a different country with a different language and culture backgrounds I was very comfortable with her presence and advice. She made me feel welcome and heard. Melissa cares about your story, she had great empathy to my story. Her point of view about life and traumas of life goes beyond the theories. She is very supportive and helped me a lot throughout my difficult time. She was a light in the dark of a sad situation that I found myself in. I really recommend counselling with Melissa. She is a great qualified professional. I just have to thank her for all her help on that very difficult time of my life.” - Polyanna

“Melissa, is an excellent therapist. Very easy to work with, talk to and relate to. When time comes to talk with her, everything flows and the time passes easily. She is very smart and will provide you with simple but practical advice on how to overcome awkward situations. She brings in personal experience to let you know that you're not alone on this journey through life which is very reassuring. I would highly recommend her. “ - Niamh