Counselling and Psychotherapy
at The Thatch Therapy Center, County Meath, Ireland.
How I work
Hi. I’m Fiona Coyne. I’m a qualified and fully accredited counsellor, psychotherapist and equine assisted learning facilitator. I hold a BSc (Hons) in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy.
Neurodivergence is an area I’m passionate about. I hold a certificate in Autism Informed Therapy for the Helping Professions from Ausome Ireland.
I am a qualified coach and equine-assisted facilitator, having trained and qualified with Festina Lente in Bray, Co. Wicklow. I am a member of the Human Equine Ireland Registry.
I attend professional supervision, am insured, Garda vetted and am fully accredited through the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. I hold a postgraduate certificate in Innovation and Enterprise from Trinity College Dublin, a diploma in Marketing from the College of Marketing and Design Dublin, and am a member of the Marketing Institute of Ireland. So there’s a lot of training, qualifications and research to reassure you on the professional front.
On the personal front, I have faced many challenging circumstances in my own life that help me in this work. My hope is that we can collaborate to help you feel resourced and supported through your challenges.
Theoretical Approach
Theoretically, I work from a Person Centred and Pluralistic framework. What that means is that I listen and support you through what’s causing you distress and then we collaborate on what you’d like to achieve. There are times when you might not want to achieve anything, and just need a compassionate ear and I have two.
I have found that a 7 session plan can be very effective, where session 1 is about you telling me what’s happening in your life to cause you distress. The next 5 sessions are focused on exploring this, and the 7th session is a review to look at whether you’ve gotten what you wanted from therapy and how you’d like to proceed from there.
Some clients like sessions every week at the same time and on the same day. Some like sessions once a fortnight, and some like to book in as they need to. All of this can be discussed during the first session. I can offer support, compassion and insights during this time. I’d like therapy to work for you, and for you to feel more supported after therapy than you did before you began! We will work with CORE (Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation) forms for transparency and to monitor your levels of wellness, and record any changes. It can be a useful visual tool for you to see any changes.
I hope that all of that sounds good to you. If not, please let me know. This is your therapy. I want you to get what you need from it, and for it to work for you.
What to expect
For some people, especially if you’re neurodivergent, you’ll want to know exactly what to expect when you come to The Thatch Counselling, Psychotherapy & EAL.
Below is the therapy room. It’s painted white with pictures of flowers and birds, and a Charlie Mackesy print featuring the boy, the mole, the fox and the horse. There are two brightly coloured armchairs, but if you’re not fond of those you can choose to sit on the couch. I’ve tried to make it comfy and not clinical. There are some soft cushions if you like that sensory input. We can put those away if you don’t. You get to choose.
Below is a photo of the gate, so you’ll know you’re at the right place when you arrive. You’ll probably see a pony in the paddock to the right.
I’m looking forward to meeting you and helping you get the therapy you want.
Sessions and Fees
A session can be held online, over the ‘phone or in person, and each session lasts 50 minutes. Longer or shorter sessions can be agreed after the initial one. Cancellations within 24 hours require full payment.
50 minute sessions cost €70 online or over the ‘phone for an individual in-person session.
Couples sessions cost €80 online or €100 in person.
Fees and Payment
Some ask if there are discounts or reduced rates, so I will explain the fees and the reason why I cannot offer reductions.
Fees are calculated to include insurance, professional body membership, academic courses, training and continuing professional development, supervision, applications to protect client information, professional zoom and other usual costs such as maintenance, mortgage, light, heat, etc.
I have given several hundred hours of voluntary counselling during my training and qualification. However, this is my job and every worker needs to be paid. For that reason, sessions need to be paid for either in advance, or on the day.
There are many organisations offering free counselling from volunteers, and I can forward some details to you if that’s what you need.
