Deirdre is a Gestalt psychotherapist and certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP), offering trauma-informed, body-based therapy to individuals across Ireland, the UK and Europe. She is an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and an active member of the Somatic Experiencing Ireland training team and community. She is also an approved SE™ Credit Provider, qualified to provide personal sessions to trainees at all levels).
Based in Co. Down, Deirdre is an Associate at the Belfast Gestalt Centre and an engaged member of its professional community.
She is also a certified Transforming Touch® Practitioner, having trained in Dr. Stephen Terrell's program developed at the Austin Attachment Center. For some individuals, this gentle, respectful touch-based work can be a powerful way to support nervous system regulation, emotional resilience, and a return to felt safety.
Deirdre is a trained mindfulness teacher, qualified to deliver both Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programs. Her teaching is deeply rooted in the work of Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of MBSR at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. She is passionate about supporting people to bring meditation and awareness practices into daily life—accessing resources of presence, connection, and embodied being.
In addition to her clinical practice, Deirdre serves as the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Officer for Tairseach, the Irish association for SE practitioners. In this role, she helps coordinate professional learning and fosters community among trauma-informed practitioners.
What is Gestalt Therapy?
Gestalt therapy is a humanistic, client-centered approach that emphasizes present-moment awareness, personal responsibility, and the therapeutic relationship. It helps individuals explore their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in the here and now to gain deeper self-understanding and promote personal growth.
What is Somatic Experiencing?
Somatic Experiencing® is a body-based therapeutic approach developed by Dr. Peter Levine. It is designed to help people resolve trauma, chronic stress, and overwhelm by gently guiding attention to internal sensations and supporting the body's natural ability to regulate and heal. Rather than retelling traumatic events, SE helps restore balance through attuned physical awareness, movement, and pacing.
Deirdre's Practice
Deirdre’s therapeutic approach is integrative and body-centered, drawing on Somatic Experiencing®, Gestalt therapy, mindfulness, and Transforming Touch® work. She supports clients in reconnecting with their natural capacity for resilience, safety, and emotional regulation—especially in the face of trauma, stress, or life transitions.
Her work gently invites awareness of the body, the present moment, and relational patterns, allowing people to process difficult experiences at their own pace. By combining the nervous system focus of Somatic Experiencing, the embodied presence of mindfulness, and the relational depth of Gestalt, Deirdre creates a grounded space where healing and reconnection can unfold naturally.
She offers sessions online and in person, welcoming both individuals new to therapeutic work and those continuing an existing journey.