Paul McMahon

I have  availability at these times during the week. Monday 10am - 2pm, Tuesday 1pm -5pm, Wednesday, 2pm - 5pm, Friday 12pm -2pm. 

Just at present I am focusing on clients who may be interested in EMDR therapy. 

While I have a background in various counselling approaches, person centred, cognitive behavioural, relationship counselling, body psychotherapy and supervision - I try to be as gentle as I can and  work from having a non-judgemental positive regard for the person. Seeking to  empower the client by identifying their strengths and  resources – personally, socially, cognitively, physically and spiritually.

While open to offering suggestions I prefer to let the client lead. I also seek to resource the client with useful techniques and tools to help them overcome stressful situations. 

Most of the clients I work with generally focus on some stressful situation or traumatic event that continues to affect their wellbeing. So the first task for me is to help create a sense of trust and safety. I also work with the client to evoke positive memories and experiences that can be used as an anchor as they face difficult memories and events. I always begin with supportive counselling as that may be all that is needed. 

But if the client requires  more therapeutic interventions to help them overcome their difficulties then I tailor the therapy to the clients needs. At present the main focus of my therapeutic interventions is EMDR eye, movement, desensitization and reprocessing. EMDR helps people heal from traumatic memories by using specific eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation. It aims to reduce the emotional distress associated with these memories, allowing individuals to process and move past their trauma.

I conduct a review of the counselling work after 4/5 sessions to help me respond adequately to the client's needs and to evaluate if we have been able to address the presenting concern.

In the first counselling session the main  objective is to build a working relationship and to let the client feel 'heard'. It's a time for understanding and empathy rather than giving solutions as we attend to what has brought them to counselling. We will look also at confidentiality and a working agreement. Ultimately it is the beginning of setting down one's concerns and taking a step back. To be able to now look objectively with the support of another.