With 17 years of experience as a full-time customer service agent with Aer Lingus, Irene has honed her skills in meeting and greeting clients, solving issues efficiently, and prioritising the needs of customers. Her role involved extensive office administration work, ensuring smooth operations while delivering exceptional service.
In 2013, Irene transitioned to a new role as a full-time carer for her son, who was diagnosed with autism. As a mother of three young children, she deeply understands the challenges families face in accessing essential services for their children. She has tirelessly advocated for her son, ensuring he received early intervention as soon as possible. This personal journey has given her a unique expertise in dealing with additional needs, complementing her professional experience in client relations.
In her spare time, Irene enjoys immersing herself in gardening. She has a particular passion for growing her own herbs and vegetables and propagating her own plants.
Donna is an enthusiastic and compassionate Counsellor and Art Therapist, with an extensive understanding of individuals with complex needs and issues. Donna has worked with children with additional needs, such as intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorder, for over five years. She has also worked with adolescents and adults presenting with a range of mental health concerns.
Donna is passionate in improving the wellbeing of clients, in particular, supporting them to harness their own creativity to encourage self-expression, promote healing, help resolve difficulties and build resilience in a safe and non-judgmental space. Using various mediums such as paint, crayons, pencils, collage and clay, Donna guides the client through art exercises specifically related to their needs. Creating art allows the client to explore their inner worlds, express themselves at their own pace, and helps them to understand and process what is going on for them.
Donna’s approach is person-centred and integrative, and she is qualified with a BA (Hons) in Integrative Counselling and Art Therapy, a diploma in Person Centered Art Psychotherapy and a certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills, is pre-accredited with the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP) and fully insured with the Psychologists Protection Society (PPS).
In her spare time, Donna loves walks on the beach and in the forest with her red setter Ziggy, exploring different countries, vintage shopping and being creative!
Vida is a fully accredited member of the Irish Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP) and adheres to their professional code of ethics. She works with adults using a Humanistic-Integrative approach, which considers the whole person and draws on different therapeutic models depending on each client's individual needs.
Vida holds a BA (Hons) Degree and a Diploma in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy from IICP College. She also has an MSc in Health Psychology (2013). As part of this degree, she participated in an intense research study of adults with destructive health behaviours, which she presented as part of the International Study at the CIECA Congress 2021. She holds a Level 9 Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT, 2021) and a Level 8 Certificate in Trauma-Informed Psychotherapy. In addition, Vida is a graduate of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, where she volunteered for several years.
She believes the therapeutic relationship between the therapist and the client is crucial. A non-judgmental, safe, and collaborative therapeutic relationship enables the client to flourish and drive toward growth and healing. By feeling heard, understood, and supported by an attentive other, we can learn to listen, understand, and support ourselves better.
Vida welcomes clients who experience anxiety, stress, anger, depression, grief, or who suffer from eating disorders, addictions, OCD, phobias, and low self-esteem, but also those who have everyday life problems, small or large. She has special interests in PTSD/CPTSD, issues related to childhood trauma/abuse, family estrangement, and sexual trauma. Vida has extensive experience working with a wide range of cultural backgrounds.
Outside work hours, Vida enjoys many outdoor activities, such as hiking, kayaking, taking long walks with her dog, and swimming in the sea.
Languages: English, Russian, Lithuanian
Website: https://familycarers.ie
All members of Family Carers Ireland can avail of a €5 discount when scheduling an appointment for a visit to our sensory room. Please specify that you are a member of FCI when making the appointment and present your membership card upon arrival.
Family Carers Ireland, a not-for-profit organisation, supports family carers and young carers by providing free emergency care planning, counselling, specialised training, wellbeing support, crisis management, respite provision, advocacy, peer support groups, and information on rights and entitlements.
Their key objective is to benefit the community by supporting and promoting the health, wellbeing, and quality of life of family carers and those they care for. Family Carers Ireland strives to promote carer resilience by enabling all family carers to be confident in their roles, establish and maintain caring routines, feel listened to and valued, access relevant training and support, understand their rights, meet peers, take breaks, seek additional support, and access emergency assistance when needed.
Family Carers Ireland aims to assure carers that they have the necessary support to provide safe care, making their role less daunting and ensuring they feel supported. As the national charity, they provide assistance to over 500,000 family and young carers throughout the country. These carers care for loved ones with various needs, including children or adults with additional needs, physical or intellectual disabilities, frail older people, individuals requiring palliative care, or those living with chronic illnesses, mental health challenges, or addiction.
Website: https://totalsensory.ie
Total Sensory Solutions Ltd, a vibrant family-run company, offers a friendly, personal service from start to finish. They specialise in designing and installing Multi-Sensory rooms, Para education rooms, safe rooms, and multi-activity areas.
Discover Their Wide Range of Products:
- Bubble tubes
- Interactive projectors
- Fibre optic lighting
- Sensory wall panels
- Sensory bean bags
- Ball pools
- Extensive range of soft play products
With over 25 years of experience in the educational sector, Total Sensory Solutions Ltd is the trusted partner for creating innovative and calming learning environments. Whether you're seeking equipment, ideas, or support for sensory rooms in schools, Total Sensory Solutions Ltd is h