Michelle Murray
Michelle is the founder of Anchor Therapy. She completed her BSc in Occupational Therapy in TCD in 2010.
Between Ireland and Australia Michelle has worked in an inpatient psychiatric setting and also in the community supporting young people with mental health concerns.
She has also completed additional training in using ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy), CFT (Compassion Focused Therapy) and trauma informed approaches.
Michelle specialises in working with young people. She also supports adult survivors of trauma through her practice of trauma sensitive yoga. Michelle works face to face Tuesdays and Wednesdays and online Mondays and Thursdays.
Nicola Keaveney
Roscommon native Nicola qualified as an Occupational Therapist from National University of Ireland Galway.
She has worked full time in the area of Adult Community Mental Health for almost a decade in the Midlands.
Additional training and/or special interests of note include: Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) facilitator; Hearing Voices; Mindfulness; Sensory Modulation; Motivational Interviewing and Setting/achieving Goals.
Nicola can meet virtually in the evenings, including weekends.
Ailís qualified as an Occupational Therapist from Trinity College Dublin, with honours in 2015. Since then she has worked in a variety of hospital settings, before she found her love of working in the mental health sphere. Ailís spent the last three years working in community adult mental health services in Dublin before she started her most recent role with the ADHD service in the Mid West.
Ailís is passionate about healthcare equity and inclusivity after spending time volunteering in a hospital in Uganda. She is part of a multi-disciplinary team clinical interest group that promotes and advocates this, as well as a working group for Occupational Therapists to promote anti-racism in practice.
When she is not “OT-ing” she loves reading books, doing CrossFit, spending time with friends and family and being out in nature with her dog.
Available for online evening sessions and Saturdays.
Ailís O Dea
Emma Higgins
Emma qualified from Trinity College Dublin with a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy. Emma has previously worked in the United Kingdom in Physical hospital settings and more recently in a Community Mental Health setting in Dublin.
Emma has completed a number of trainings related to Mental Health practice including Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP), Recovery Principles in practice, REAL U (Personal development and sexual health programme), ASSIST suicide & self-harm awareness training and Motivational Interviewing techniques.
While practicing with Anchor Therapy, Emma has a keen interest in supporting individuals to achieve their goals and reach their full potential. Emma believes in the power of engaging in occupation as a tool to support mental health and wellbeing.
Emma works weekday evenings for Anchor Therapy providing online sessions.
Rachel Ardagh
Rachel is a Senior Occupational Therapist who graduated from Trinity College in 2007. She has worked in various sectors for the past 15 years, including disability, paediatrics, equine assisted therapy, and has specialised in the area of mental health for the past 6 years. Rachel also works part time as a Senior Clinician, in a transdisciplinary role for a youth mental health organisation.
Rachel’s approach to OT is firmly grounded in cultivating more self-compassion and awareness in order to support people to engage meaningfully in what’s important to them in their lives. Rachel has training in various therapeutic approaches which are also woven into her practice, including ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy), CFT (Compassion Focused Therapy) Solution Focused Therapy, Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness, and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy. She graduated with a Masters in Mindfulness Based Interventions from UCD in 2020 and sits on the Board for the Mindfulness Teacher’s Association of Ireland.
She is available for sessions online on thursdays and fridays.
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