Summit Counselling and Psychotherapy

13/08/2026

Does counselling actually work?

I can answer that question as a psychotherapist.

But I can also answer it as someone who once walked into a counselling room feeling completely overwhelmed, hopeless and terrified.

At the time, I felt like a ship caught in a storm without a sail.

I'd dropped what felt like a bomb in my own life, and the frightening part was that I didn't understand why.

I thought my counsellor would tell me.

I thought they'd have the answers.

I thought they'd fix me.

They didn't.

Instead, they helped me slowly understand the storm I was in.

Looking back, it was like patching holes in a boat. We'd explore something in counselling, I'd go away and reflect on it, try something differently, sometimes get it wrong, and we'd talk about it again.

But perhaps the biggest change happened later.

The genuine care and interest my counsellor showed me gradually became an interest in understanding and looking after myself.

Instead of asking, "What's wrong with me?"

I started asking, "What do I need?" and "What do I actually want from my life?"

I've shared more about that experience in Episode 3 of Understanding Counselling, along with a new article on the Summit website.

📖 Read the article and watch the video:
https://summitcounselling.org/does-counselling-actually-work-what-my-own-experience-taught-me/

Helping you find your way.

12/08/2026

I thought my counsellor was going to fix me.

When I first went to counselling, I felt like a ship caught in a storm without a sail.

I was sinking fast.

I'd dropped what felt like a bomb in my own life and, at the time, I didn't understand why.

I thought my counsellor would have the answers.

Guess what?

They didn't.

What happened was much slower.

They helped me understand the storm I was in. Session by session, it felt like we were patching the holes and stopping the water coming in.

But something else happened that I didn't expect.

The genuine interest my counsellor took in understanding me slowly became an interest in understanding myself.

Instead of constantly asking:

"What's wrong with me?"

I started asking:

"Why do I feel like this?"
"What do I need?"
"What do I actually want from my life?"

That's what this episode of Understanding Counselling is about.

🎥 Episode 3: Does Counselling Actually Work?

Watch the video and read the full article via the link in bio.

Helping you find your way.

04/08/2026

Meet Fran.

Relationships can become difficult for all sorts of reasons.

Sometimes communication breaks down. Sometimes life gets in the way. Sometimes you simply feel stuck.

With over 15 years' experience, Fran provides couples counselling in a safe, supportive, and non-judgemental space where both partners can feel heard.

04/08/2026

Meet Fran 👋

Finding the right couples counsellor matters.

Fran has over 15 years' experience helping couples navigate relationship challenges in a warm, supportive, and non-judgemental environment.

He believes that every couple is the expert in their own relationship. His role is to help both partners feel heard, understand one another more deeply, and work together towards lasting change.

Watch his short introduction to learn more.

🎥 https://youtube.com/shorts/U13X4vclR7s

If you're considering couples counselling, you can also book a free consultation through Summit Counselling.

In this short video, Fran explains his approach to helping couples ...

22/07/2026

Have you ever wondered what actually happens in counselling?

One of the biggest worries I hear is:

"I wouldn't even know where to start."

I understand that feeling because I remember sitting in the client's chair myself, wondering exactly the same thing.

I even remember saying to my counsellor:
"Can you ask me a question to get me started?"

Looking back, that simple question was enough.

One thought led to another. One conversation became another. Gradually, things that had felt completely overwhelming began to make more sense.

In this video, I talk about my own experience of counselling and explain what really happens in a counselling session.

If you've ever been curious about counselling, or you've been thinking about reaching out but weren't sure what to expect, I hope this helps.

If one question has been holding you back from counselling, I'd love to hear it in the comments. I may answer it in a future video.

Helping you find your way.

20/07/2026

🎙 Missed Emma on Near FM?

Emma Campbell, one of the therapists at Summit Counselling and Psychotherapy Swords, recently joined Near FM's Life Unfiltered with Maria McHale to talk about Parts of Self.

Many of us have experienced moments where one part of us wants to move forward while another wants to stay safe. During the interview, Emma explores why this happens, how these different parts develop, and how counselling can help us understand them with greater compassion rather than judgement.

If you missed the live broadcast, you can now listen back here:

🎧 https://listenagain.org/?p=62279

You can also read Emma's blog on Parts of Self:
📖 https://summitcounselling.org/understanding-the-different-parts-of-ourselves-how-our-life-experiences-shape-who-we-become/

Emma works with adolescents and adults from our practice in Swords and is currently accepting new clients.

📅 Book a free consultation:
https://summitcounselling.org/appointment/

14/07/2026

Part of me wants to move forward... another part wants to stay safe.Sound familiar?

This Friday at 1pm, Emma will be joining Life Unfiltered with Maria McHale on Near FM 90.3 to discuss Parts of Self—how our life experiences shape us, why protective parts develop, and how understanding ourselves with compassion can lead to healing.

📻 Friday • 1:00pm🎙️ Near FM 90.3

Trauma SelfCompassion Swords Dublin SummitCounselling

09/07/2026

What actually is counselling?

If you've ever asked yourself that question, you're not alone.

In the first episode of my new series, I explain what counselling is, what it isn't, and why you don't need to have everything figured out before taking the first step.

Whether you're feeling anxious, overwhelmed, stuck, or simply curious, I hope this helps make counselling feel a little less mysterious.

💬 What question would you like me to answer next?

Swords Dublin CounsellingIreland UnderstandingCounselling

23/06/2026

My dad died two years ago.

Recently, I read a book called I Love You Since the Day You Died and it caught me completely off guard.

As I read it, I found myself crying and revisiting memories I hadn't thought about in years. Not because the book told me anything new about grief, but because it helped me see my father differently.

Growing up, I knew my dad worked hard.

What I didn't fully understand until after he died was just how much he sacrificed for his family.

Like many men of his generation, he didn't often talk about love. He showed it through long hours, providing, turning up, and carrying responsibilities that I probably took for granted at the time.

One of the biggest lessons grief has taught me is that we don't stop learning about the people we love when they die.

Sometimes we understand them more deeply afterwards.

I've written a personal reflection about the book, my father, grief, and what I've learned both as a son and as a counsellor.

📖 Read the article here: https://summitcounselling.org/i-love-you-since-the-day-you-died-what-a-book-about-grief-helped-me-understand-about-my-father/

18/06/2026

🌈 Autism and Counselling: A Neuro-Affirming Approach for Autistic Adults and Families

Today is Autistic Pride Day, a day that celebrates autistic identity, neurodiversity, and the many ways autistic people contribute to our communities.

In this new article, Caoimhe McLaughlin explores autism through a neuro-affirming lens and discusses:

✅ Autism and mental health
✅ Diagnosis and identity
✅ Masking and autistic burnout
✅ Sensory experiences
✅ Belonging and self-acceptance
✅ The importance of autistic joy
✅ How counselling can support autistic adults, young people, parents, and families

As an Integrative Psychotherapist with a background in autism services, Caoimhe shares insights from her work supporting autistic and neurodivergent individuals and families.

📖 Read the article here: https://summitcounselling.org/autism-and-counselling-a-neuro-affirming-approach-for-autistic-adults-and-families/

🎧 The article also includes links to Caoimhe's recent Near FM interview discussing the realities of parenting an autistic child.

What does a neuro-affirming understanding of autism mean to you?

If you know someone who might find this article helpful, please share it.