Sally O'Reilly Psychology & Psychotherapy

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

01/03/2026

"We are blessed with a small but fabulous choice of pubs and eateries near where I live. It’s a tourist haven for six months of the year, attracting people from all around the world. It's a seriously gorgeous place.

It also draws people home from all around the world, to reunite with loved ones, to have the craic, maybe an oul “dalliance” or two… maybe a bump of coke…

Or maybe to throw their weight and sweaty hands around in search of female attention."

(Thanks to Fusion hair design Midletonfor the headspace and wifi and Michelle for helping me choose the right pic for the dude in this story while expertly coiffing my mop!)

A "normal" night out: a tale of boundaries, entitlement, and the quiet power of leaving.

23/02/2026

Please. Read this. We get to hear this as therapists in the privacy of our rooms. But others not so much, not "out there" in the real world. Here's what young girls are dealing with.

Extract: "A few days ago I saw an Instagram reel of a young woman talking about how she had been r***d six years ago, struggled with thoughts of su***de afterwards, but managed to rebuild her life again. Among the comments – the majority of which were from men – were things like “Well at least you had some”, “No way, she’s unr**eable”, “Hope you didn’t talk this much when it happened”, “Bro could have picked a better option.” Reading those comments, which had thousands of likes and many boys agreeing with them, made me feel sick."

(Anyone reminded of the C Mc G trial?? Cos I am... that, and more...)

Objectification, hate, r**e threats: the politicians debating online abuse mean well, but to truly understand, they need to see what I see

18/02/2026

Please read this if you are a therapist, or if you or loved one is or will soon be involved in a legal case re sexual assault or r**e. I hope you will find this piece to be measured, informed and encouraging.

We are living in a system that asks survivors of all ages to believe they must choose between safety and truth, between healing and legal exposure. We're seeing it in the news too often.

As therapists, we are in a position to protect the dignity of the people who come to us in unimaginable pain. We must take that responsibility seriously and with deliberate care, with principled practice, and continued advocacy for reform. We cannot control enquiries and decisions made in the courtroom. We cannot control defence strategy. But we can control how much unnecessary vulnerability we embed in our files.

This is not about evasion. OR frightening clients into silence. It is about proportionality. And our duty of care.

I've linked to my record keeping policy at the end of this piece. Colleagues, feel free to read and/or suggest amendments.

Irish Council for Psychotherapy Irish Association of Humanistic & Integrative Psychotherapy - IAHIP
IACP - Irish Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy Irish Play Therapy Association - IPTA

We cannot control enquiries and decisions made in the courtroom. We cannot control defence strategy. But we can control how much unnecessary vulnerability we embed in our files.

11/02/2026

This requirement, of course, belongs under the heading of "stating the bleedin' obvious" rather than any kind of "progress".

The National Women's Council has called for stronger legal protections that would allow women and children in abusive situations to remain safely in the family home, and for perpetrators to be removed instead.

10/02/2026

This is one of the best articles I've ever read addressing the "not all men" mantra. Especially now that we are in the Me-Too-on-steroids era where misogyny seems to have increased exponentially. It's genuinely frightening.

Certainly, something I've witnessed good men struggle with in therapy is their "dark" side. She speaks about that in this piece so well, so non judgementally. Give it a read. Send it to some men.

Three news stories in one week demonstrate how misogyny pervades our society

04/02/2026

What is an "underage woman"?
Oh wait, I know this one - it's a child. Riiiiight?

Jesus. 🤬🤮

04/02/2026

Therapists differ in how they work, who they work with, and their areas of expertise. But ethics should always be clear and consistent. Blurred boundaries are unsafe — and sometimes hard to spot.

Have you ever left a therapy session feeling a little uneasy but couldn’t put your finger on why? Here’s a guide to spotting red flags and protecting yourself in therapy.

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.

07/01/2026

I know I'm repeating myself (!!) and that it's challenging stuff, but please watch this short clip and have conversations with your partner/friends/ therapists about your child/tween/teen regarding their use - or their friends' use - of AI and tech.

Healthy sexuality, relationships, childhood itself is in grave danger. It's neither dramatic nor and exaggeration to say so.

https://fb.watch/Eu6of7C_bT/