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 inpatient psychiatric settings and mostly in the community supporting young people and adults specialising in mental health and neurodiversity.
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 is passionate about changing the way schools, colleges and workplaces support neurodiversity and mental health. She continues to grow Anchor Therapy with a strong desire to make OT available and accessible to everyone in the community.
In her spare time she loves being outside, doing yoga or watching a good movie.
Michelle works face to face Tuesdays and Wednesdays and online Mondays and Thursdays.
Ailís O Dea
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 and face to face sessions Monday- Friday.
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.
Rachel is available for sessions online.
Laura Hackett
Laura is a Senior Occupational Therapist, who completed her Masters Degree in Occupational Therapy in University of Limerick in 2017. Laura specialises in the area of Adult Mental Health. With eight years experience, including working in the public health service in Ireland and in Private Practice, she has a deep passion for supporting adults and young people in managing their mental health challenges and achieving their goals. Laura has extensive experience working in in-patient psychiatric settings and community settings supporting individuals with a wide range of diagnoses, to achieve their maximum potential in their roles and areas of their life which are most important to them.
A large part of Laura’s experience has involved supporting individuals with ADHD and ASD, providing tools and tailored strategies around executive functioning skills, that foster individual strengths, promote independence, and create a nurturing environment for personal growth and success.
Laura enjoys empowering individuals to regain independence and enhance their quality of life through meaningful activities. With a compassionate, client-centred approach, her focus is on understanding each person’s unique needs and creating tailored interventions that promote wellness, resilience, and everyday functionality.
Laura is trained in Mindfulness Based Approaches and Life Coaching, and enjoys bringing this aspect of her training to her professional role. She is also trained in Wellness Recovery Action Planning and values a recovery approach to her work.
In her spare time she can be found walking by the sea with her young family, hiking in nature, and engaging in yoga and fitness.
Laura is available for Online sessions Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
