Rachael — Child & Adolescent Art Psychotherapist
Hi, I’m Rachael, a qualified and accredited Child & Adolescent Art Psychotherapist (MSc, UCD) with over 20 years’ experience working with children, young people, and families. I work in a warm, supportive, and non-judgemental way, helping young people feel safe to explore what is going on for them at their own pace.
Who I Work With
I work with children and young people aged 6–18 years who may be experiencing anxiety, low mood, trauma, grief or loss, emotional regulation difficulties, relationship or attachment challenges, self-esteem and body image concerns, school stress or avoidance, and challenges linked to neurodiversity or emotional overwhelm. I also support young people who find it difficult to express their feelings in words and prefer to communicate through creative expression.
How I Work
My work is psychodynamic and relational, using art and creativity as a central part of therapy. This means building a trusting therapeutic relationship while helping young people explore their thoughts, emotions, and experiences through both talking and creative work. Art can help make difficult or confusing feelings easier to express, understand, and process. Working in this way can support emotional insight, self-awareness, and long-term resilience.
Professional Background
My background includes work in youth work, education, child protection, CAMHS, and TUSLA’s Therapeutic Hub. I maintain a strong focus on safeguarding, safe practice, and supporting young people’s emotional wellbeing.
Accreditation & Professional Memberships
I am fully Accredited with the Irish Association of Child Art Psychotherapists (ACAP) and registered with the Irish Council for Psychotherapy (ICP).
Insurance & Availability
Therapy sessions may be claimable through VHI if your policy covers psychotherapy services. Please note that current availability is Fridays only.
More Information
www.caapablehands.ie
What my therapy space looks like
What happens when a space becomes available
Free initial call
We’ll start with a free phone call to talk through your concerns, answer any questions, and see if I’m the right fit for your child.
Getting set up
If we both feel it’s a good fit and availability times work, I’ll send you some consent and background info forms to complete, and we’ll arrange the first sessions.
Introductory therapy phase (5 Sessions)
This begins with a meeting for you and your child/young person, followed by three art psychotherapy sessions, and then a review where we all come together to reflect on how things are going.
Next steps
After the review, it can be decided whether to finish or continue with a further block of agreed sessions, with regular check-ins planned along the way.