Hi, I’m Owen - a humanistic and integrative psychotherapist, relationship therapist, EMDR therapist and CORU registered social worker based in Dublin. I founded Crystallise Psychotherapy® to offer something I believe we all need at different points in life: a space where we can be met with compassion, curiosity, and respect.
I see therapy as a place where you don’t have to hold it all together. A space where whatever feels painful, confusing, or stuck can be explored gently and safely, without pressure to fix or perform. It’s a process of making sense of things together, at your pace, with care.
I’ve spent much of my working life alongside people in moments of deep vulnerability - whether navigating grief, illness, identity shifts, relationship challenges, or the quieter inner struggles that so many of us carry, like anxiety, low mood, self-doubt, or a harsh inner critic. What I’ve come to understand is that what most people long for is not advice, but to feel truly seen, heard, and accepted - even in the places they might have hidden away.
My path to becoming a psychotherapist wasn’t linear - it was something that unfolded over time. Across healthcare, community, and voluntary settings, I kept returning to the same thread: sitting with people in their pain, listening with attunement, and holding space for what’s hard to say. Those experiences continue to shape how I work with clients today: with presence, care, and a commitment to holding space for whatever they bring. If you choose to work with me, you’ll be met at your own pace - with care, respect, and the understanding that all parts of your story are welcome.
My practice is inclusive, affirming, and relational. I welcome adults of all identities and backgrounds, including people in multi-partnered and non-traditional relationships. The issues I work with include trauma, shame, compulsive sexual behaviours, attachment wounds, and challenges around identity, emotional closeness, vulnerability, and trust.
You don’t need to be in crisis to come to therapy. Many people I work with are simply trying to understand themselves better, make sense of stuck patterns, or feel more at ease in their everyday lives. Therapy isn’t only for when everything falls apart; it can also be a space to reflect, to grow, and to discover new ways of relating to yourself and others. Whether you’re facing something big, or just carrying a quiet sense that things could feel different - you’re invited to bring all of that into the therapy space, and we can explore it together, at your pace.
You can learn more about my background, qualifications, and professional affiliations below.
I’m an accredited humanistic and integrative psychotherapist. This means I work with the belief that you have inherent worth, the capacity for growth, and an inner drive towards healing and meaning-making
A humanistic approach focuses on seeing you as a whole person — not a set of symptoms — and places great value on your subjective and lived experience, personal strengths, and the quality of the therapeutic relationship. It’s a way of working that emphasises presence, empathy, and emotional honesty. At the heart of my work is a person-centred approach — one that sees you as the expert in your own life, and honours your inner resources, values, and potential. I passionately believe that, given the appropriate conditions, all individuals have the capacity to realise their true selves and their potential. Working in this way means I meet you with curiosity, compassion, and respect, creating a space where all parts of you are welcome — even those that may feel conflicted, vulnerable, or hard to share.
As an integrative psychotherapist, I draw from multiple psychological traditions to meet the unique needs of each client. I believe in the inherent value and uniqueness of each individual. This means that I look at what best fits your needs and situation, using different approaches and techniques, rather than assuming a ‘one size fits all’. We are not all the same — and I want our therapeutic relationship to reflect that, in a way that feels attuned to you. I also weave together therapeutic approaches — including a person-centred orientation — with particular emphasis on the therapeutic relationship as a space for connection, self-discovery, and healing. I bring a non-pathologising, integrative lens to therapy, drawing from psychodynamic, relational, somatic, and systemic approaches.
My humanistic and integrative approach places each client’s lived experience at the centre of the therapeutic process. A metaphor that resonates with how I work is the Japanese art of Kintsugi — the practice of repairing broken pottery with gold, highlighting the cracks rather than hiding them. I see therapy in a similar way: not as a place to erase what’s been difficult, but as a space to honour the experiences that have shaped you, and to gently integrate them into a fuller, more connected sense of self. Our wounds don’t have to disappear to make us whole — sometimes, they become part of what makes us most human.
My practice is trauma-informed and shaped by my understanding of attachment, shame, and the impact of early experiences on how we relate to ourselves and others. I also pay attention to how intersectional aspects of identity, culture, and power shape our emotional lives — including gender, sexuality, class, race, ability, and belonging.
I don’t view therapy as a place to “fix” you. Instead, I see it as a space where we can gently explore what’s going on beneath the surface, understand long-standing patterns, and move towards greater clarity, connection, and self-acceptance. Some people come to therapy feeling stuck or overwhelmed. Others arrive with a quiet sense that something could be different. However you come, you are welcome.
If you’re considering therapy, the first step is to get in touch — usually by e-mail. I offer a free initial phone call, which gives you the chance to get a sense of me and how I work, and for us to explore what you might be hoping for from therapy. It’s also an opportunity to see whether there’s a good fit between us — whether the relationship feels right, and whether the timing is right for you. There’s no pressure or obligation to commit. You’re welcome to ask me any questions about how I work. If we decide to continue, we’ll then agree on a regular time to meet for ongoing sessions — typically weekly — either in person or online.
Each session lasts for 50 minutes and usually takes place at the same time and place each week. I aim to offer consistency while also being as flexible as I can, where needed.
I offer both open-ended and time-limited therapy. With open-ended work, we review things together regularly, to check in on how the process is going and whether it still feels helpful for you. With time-limited therapy, we agree at the beginning on a certain number of sessions — this can be especially useful if you’re working toward a specific goal or timeframe. Either way, we’ll talk together about what feels realistic and supportive.
The therapeutic space is confidential, and I hold that confidentiality with great care. I work in accordance with the professional codes of ethics of IAHIP, ICP, and IACP. I’m committed to creating a space where you can feel respected, safe, and supported.
What you share in therapy is kept in strict confidence. However, there are some exceptional circumstances in which I may need to share information, in line with my legal and ethical obligations. These include:
I also adhere to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to ensure your personal information is handled with care and respect. For clients based outside of Ireland, including the UK, I will also take account of the relevant legal and ethical standards that apply to your jurisdiction.
Therapy can sometimes feel challenging, especially in the early stages. But with care and consistency, it can also become a place of insight, clarity, and meaningful change. My hope is that therapy offers you not just relief from what feels difficult, but a deeper relationship with yourself — one that helps you move toward greater self-understanding, emotional freedom, and more authentic ways of living.
I’m accredited or registered with a number of national and international psychotherapy organisations:
As a fully accredited and registered member of IAHIP, ICP, and UKCP, I meet the highest recognised standards for psychotherapy training, clinical experience, and ethical practice. These memberships reflect not only the depth of my ongoing continuing professional development (CPD), but also my commitment to integrity, safety, and relational care in how I support the people I work with.
My academic and clinical training spans psychotherapy, trauma, relationship therapy, and social work, with additional postgraduate training in compulsive sexual behavior. This diverse foundation allows me to integrate multiple perspectives into my therapeutic work, while continuing to deepen my understanding through ongoing professional development.
I believe that education isn’t just about credentials - it’s part of how I stay engaged, curious, and responsive to the people I work with. My integrative approach is shaped by this range of training and experience, allowing me to adapt how I work to meet each person’s unique needs, while offering a space that is both informed and relational.
My core training in humanistic and integrative psychotherapy was a four-year postgraduate programme at the Turning Point Institute - an accredited member of the European Association for Psychotherapy Training Institutes (EAPTI). This qualification meets the highest standards of psychotherapy education and is recognised by all major Irish and European accrediting bodies.
Before training, qualifying, and becoming an accredited psychotherapist, I worked for many years within some of Ireland’s most diverse and dynamic healthcare settings.
Since 2011, I’ve been based at St. James’s Hospital - Ireland’s largest acute academic teaching hospital - where I’ve supported individuals and families across a range of medical, surgical, and specialist services. During this time, I worked in the hospital’s GUIDE Clinic, Ireland’s largest free sexual health clinic. Within the clinic, I supported patients receiving treatment for STIs or HIV, accessing PEP or PrEP, navigating chemsex-related concerns, and attending the weekly Young Person’s Clinic. I also provided pre- and post-test counselling, offering support around testing, results, and next steps - as well as exploring issues related to sexual identity, relationships, and emotional well-being.
Alongside this, I have worked in oncology and palliative care, both within St. James’s Hospital and at Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services. In the Hospice, my work included supporting patients at end-of-life, as well as their loved ones, during anticipatory grief and bereavement. I also provided structured bereavement counselling to family members after a patient’s death, typically beginning six months post-loss.
Earlier in my career, I was involved in a number of voluntary roles with organisations such as Childline/ISPCC, Open Heart House (a support centre for people living with HIV & AIDS), and services working with people experiencing homelessness. Through my work with Gay Switchboard Ireland, I offered a confidential, non-judgemental, and non-directive listening and signposting service for LGBTQ+ people — as well as their parents, families, and friends - who were exploring concerns related to sexual orientation and gender identity.
I was also actively involved in Marriage Equality, a campaign that successfully advocated for equal marriage rights for same-sex couples in Ireland. This included lobbying politicians and policymakers, raising public awareness, and helping to shape public understanding through community engagement and national campaigns.
I’m a former member of the Governing Body of the Irish Association for Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy (IAHIP), and I currently serve on the Accreditation Committee, contributing to the development and upholding of high standards within the psychotherapy profession.
I’ve also been an occasional contributor to the Irish Independent’s weekly Modern Morals column, where I offer reflections on psychological and emotional wellbeing, relationships, and some of the complexities people sometimes bring to therapy.
Each of these roles has shaped how I listen, how I sit with complexity, and how I offer support that’s rooted in compassion and respect. The breadth of my background gives me a deep appreciation for the many different contexts people come from, and the strength it takes to show up, ask for support, and engage with therapy.