Sally O'Reilly Psychology & Psychotherapy

10/08/2026

I've been intrigued by and very much enjoying all the "clap-back" videos whizzing around online recently. My personal recent favourite was the German politician whom I will forever think of as the Queen of the Cl****is, but whose actual name is Kathrin Gebel of di Die Linke Party.

Journalist Chrissie Russell is ALSO intrigued and we chatted about it recently. The resulting article is here - and later in the week I'll post our actual conversation because its a lot more in depth, and as always she helped me think clearly and organise my thoughts in a more presentable manner than they are in my head which is FULL of competing ideas at all times!!

When cruel comments about their age or looks land in their online feeds, a growing number of Irish women are choosing to hit back at trolls and reclaim the narrative

19/07/2026

While shocking, I’m no longer surprised by news like this. The constant erosion of standards in my profession is so very deeply concerning:

ICP is deeply concerned about new guidelines that lower training standards for Child & Adolescent Psychotherapists in Ireland.

ICP believes these changes represent a serious risk to public safety & a fundamental misunderstanding of our profession. Child, Family, & Group Analytic Psychotherapy are distinct disciplines - not specialisms to be added after adult training.

Lowering standards could put vulnerable clients at risk & undermine the quality of care. ICP urges regulators to maintain rigorous, specialised training from the outset to protect children & families who rely on these vital services.



Irish Association of Humanistic & Integrative Psychotherapy - IAHIP
Family Therapy Association of Ireland
Association of Child Art Psychotherapists
Association for Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy in Ireland Ltd
Irish Forum for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy

19/06/2026

Nature as co-therapist. Or maybe co psycho-educator might be a better way of putting it? Anyway - here's a very short story of how a bird taught a teen and her mom to understand an outburst:

My clients jumped. "JESUS what the f*&k!" shrieked the immediately embarrassed mom as a bird suddenly swooped and the air lift her hair in it's draught... The teen is rigid. Not really knowing what to do or say. Not sure what's happening. Looking at me, a little afraid, a little amused my her mom's....

20/05/2026

Finally found a version where his “bad” words weren’t bleeped out!

I suppose for many outlets, bad language borne of (appropriate) righteous rage is so much more offensive than murdering women.

Javier Bardem spoke at the Cannes press conference, addressing toxi...

03/05/2026

P**n has become a very real problem for children and teens (never mind adults!!) and we must deal with it, even though I know, it can be scary or awkward to talk about. This organisation is worth a follow. They provide free resources for parents, kids and anyone who works with both. Take a look:

🧠 3 things to know about po*******hy and youth mental health:

Because adolescence is a critical period for brain and emotional development, repeated exposure to po*******hy may shape how young people think, feel, and relate to others.

1. 😓 Research has linked adolescent po*******hy exposure with mental health and social challenges, including depression.

2. 💤 Early po*******hy use may be associated with psychosomatic symptoms such as headaches, irritability, and trouble sleeping.

3. 🤳 Some unhappy adolescents may turn to po*******hy for “mood management,” which can contribute to further dysfunction and negative effects on well-being.

In honor of , explore our fact sheet on the harms of po*******hy to young people: https://buff.ly/cncmZ1s

**nHarms **nAndMentalHealth **n **nAndTheBrain

29/04/2026

The initially bizarre and misunderstood piece about abusers is that not only are they often "pillars of the community" but in order to be "successful", they HAVE to be. Or at least have some standing, be well-liked, well regarded, credible, holders of 'good' jobs etc etc bla bla bla.

Every time I hear a character reference being mentioned I imagine how awful that is for the victim(s) to hear. And I imagine the perpetrator laughing. They know how the system works.

Think about it.

If the abuser is a person who is clearly an abuser, then how could they possibly get away with it?! And wouldn't their victims be believed more readily? Yes they would.

The victims MUST be made look "worse" than the abuser (they're hysterical, have "mental health issues" (I wonder why...) or they don't hold down a 'good' job, they don't volunteer with the local sports club/ church etc etc etc) and the abuser must be made look good, a grand fella. A popular fella. It's simply how it works. Abusers know this.

The judicial system MUST know this. It's not rocket science when you take a moment to think about it.

And so the current system is stacked against victims. And court cases run by people ignorant of the basic psychology and dynamics of abuse and perpetrators facilitate ongoing abuse.

It's more than offensive. It's a second, third, fourth assault.

10/03/2026

Quick reminder for clients & colleagues: 'Senior Psychotherapist' is not a protected title in Ireland. Psychotherapy and psychology are next up for regulation. In the meantime, always check accreditation with PSI, IAHIP, IACP, or ICP for qualified care.



Editing my Red Flag post to include this one, and will continue to edit as I see 🚩🚩🚩's on my social feeds. Please, be careful!

What follows are a few if/then scenarios. They may sound unrealistic. But I chose them very deliberately — because these are things I've either observed, or things that have happened to people I know. Friends. Clients. Not theoretical.

10/03/2026

Are you privately insured and do you know the details of your policy regarding psychotherapy and psychological services?
Do check!

As you are no doubt aware, ALL insurers have put their premiums up. And in many cases they've changed their benefits. So check the details to ensure you are still covered for psychotherapy and psychology. Some policies are better than others, and you may find more cover elsewhere!

And finally some policies cover only psychologists (chartered Counselling or Clinical) but not psychotherapists. Others cover both - again - make sure if you are working with a psychotherapist.

(For example - I discovered this year when renewing that my old policy had changed such that only a small amount of therapy sessions would be covered going forward. Previously, all of them had been covered up to 50%. I changed to a better policy which offers more sessions in the year. It's worth the phone call!)

06/03/2026

"It underlines that survivors should never have to face sexual violence alone and that students and staff want to carry the burden with her in solidarity for all she has endured. Together, we are all stronger," Ms Morrogh added.

This was not an isolated incident, which makes this all the worse. We have a serious problem with misogyny and male entitlement.

Well done UCD Students' Union and Dublin R**e Crisis Centre

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41804051.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawQXuIVleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFKY04xN0pHY2FIVlBEM0o4c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHnI6BUqkJyYoBHQDuSBaq-EBcmdo9Y7kguAr1lf64uQCUW1dicJdevTfgI3e_aem_r0IdwD69D3F84oP7VZMNPw

Protest follows circulation of explicit image as student alleges lack of university support after reported assault

03/03/2026

👌👌

"Maybe we should start talking about how many men out of 3 will sexually assault someone... instead of how many women out of 3 will be assaulted. Let's shift the ownership." - Christina Ricci