http://lighthousepsychology.ie/

Lighthouse Psychology, Top Floor, Ardkeen Shopping Centre, Dunmore Road, Waterford X91 AE01, Waterford (2026)

27/04/2026

🌊 Radical Acceptance: Making Peace With What Is

Radical acceptance is a therapeutic skill that means fully acknowledging reality exactly as it is in this moment, without denying it, fighting it, or judging it.

❎It does not mean approving of what happened.
❎It does not mean giving up.
❎It does not mean that what occurred was fair, deserved, or okay.

Radical acceptance simply means: “This is what is happening right now, and this is how I feel about it.”

When we stop arguing with reality, we reduce unnecessary suffering and free up energy to respond more effectively to what comes next.

🧠 Why Radical Acceptance Can Be Powerful
So much emotional pain comes from thoughts like:
“This shouldn’t have happened.”
“I can’t handle this.”
“It’s wrong that things turned out this way.”

While completely understandable, these thoughts often intensify distress rather than relieve it.

Radical acceptance helps to
👉Reduce emotional overwhelm
👉Interrupt cycles of rumination and self‑blame
👉Decrease anxiety, anger, and shame
👉Create space for healthier coping and problem‑solving
👉Acceptance doesn’t erase pain — it makes pain more bearable.

✅ Radical acceptance may be especially useful when:
You are facing a situation you cannot change right now
You are stuck replaying the past or asking “what if?”
You feel emotionally exhausted from fighting reality
The cost of resistance is greater than the pain itself
You want to respond rather than react

Examples:
A relationship ending
Living with chronic illness or grief
Another person’s behaviour you cannot control
Unchangeable past decisions or events

⚠️ When Radical Acceptance Can Be Misused or Harmful
Radical acceptance is not appropriate in every situation.
It can be dangerous or misunderstood when:
It is used to stay in abusive or harmful situations
It encourages silence, suppression, or self‑neglect
It replaces necessary action, boundaries, or protection
It is forced too early, before emotions have been processed
It is framed as “you should just accept it and move on”

⚠️ Accepting reality does not mean tolerating harm.
Safety, boundaries, and support always come first.

In therapy, radical acceptance is best introduced gently and with compassion, often alongside validation, self‑soothing, and problem‑solving.

💬 Radical Acceptance Statements to Practise
These statements in the image can be repeated silently or aloud during moments of distress. They are not affirmations, they are grounding reminders.

🌱 A Gentle Reminder
Radical acceptance is a practice, not a switch you flip once.

Some days it feels possible., some days it doesn’t, and that’s okay.

Acceptance often happens layer by layer, returning again and again to the present moment with compassion.

If you’re finding acceptance impossible, that doesn’t mean you’re failing, it may simply mean you need support first.

24/04/2026

🧠 Understanding Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is more than “acting out” or being “bold.”

ODD is a childhood behavioural condition characterised by persistent patterns of:
- Frequent anger or irritability
- Arguing with adults
- Actively refusing to follow rules
- Blaming others for mistakes
- Deliberately provoking or upsetting others

These behaviours typically begin in early childhood and occur across settings such as home and school, significantly affecting relationships and daily life.

⚠️ An important clinical note: If a young person was generally well‑behaved during childhood and oppositional or defiant behaviours begin later in adolescence or adulthood, this pattern is less likely to be ODD. In such cases, a mood disorder, anxiety, trauma, or substance use may be contributing and should be carefully explored by a professional.

💛 What matters most: Children with ODD are not “bad” or “naughty”. Their behaviour often reflects difficulty managing emotions, stress, or feeling overwhelmed, and they need understanding, not punishment.

✅ With early assessment, compassionate parenting strategies, and psychological support, children can:
- Develop emotional regulation
- Improve behaviour and relationships
- Build confidence and coping skills

At Lighthouse Psychology, we support children, parents, and families through evidence‑based assessment and therapy, helping everyone feel understood and supported.

📍 You’re not alone, support is available.
🔗 Learn more at https://lighthousepsychology.ie/

22/04/2026

A Common myth: “Dyslexia is a sign of low intelligence” (by our Assistant Psychologist, Hannah Eade)

Dyslexia is one of the most common learning differences, yet it is so widely misunderstood. Dyslexia is a neurological difference, and it is not related to intelligence.

In fact, individuals with Dyslexia often have average or above average intelligence and they excel in areas such as creative thinking, problem solving, and spatial reasoning.

The struggles individuals with Dyslexia face are specific to language processing tasks like reading, spelling and writing. Dyslexia can also affect other areas of learning such as maths, time management, organisation skills, and memory.

Unfortunately, the myth that Dyslexia is linked to low intelligence can stigmatise the condition and prevent people from receiving proper support or correct treatment.

Confusing language processing challenges with the lack of intelligence can be deeply harmful to an individual's self-esteem as well as their motivation to learn.

20/04/2026

ADHD and Parenting – Beyond the Label

Join Family Carers Ireland on April 23rd for an insightful session led by Dr. Clara O’Byrne PhD. This webinar is designed for parents and carers looking for essential strategies to help their children flourish.

What you’ll learn:
👉Facts about ADHD beyond the diagnosis.
👉Neuro-affirming practices and supports.
👉Insights into the brain/body connection and stress management.

Event Details:
📅 Date: Thursday, April 23
⏰ Time: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM GMT+1
📍 Format: Online Webinar

Dr. O’Byrne brings years of expertise as a psychologist, former special school teacher, and NCSE advisor. Don't miss out on this expert guidance!

https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/adhd-and-parenting-tickets-1983373924800?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

17/04/2026

We are so proud to be part of this incredible initiative! 📻 Tune in to South East Radio next Thursday, April 23rd, to hear Teresa Carr Buckley and Prof Chrissie Tizzard discuss the new Community Hub in New Ross.

The cost of private therapy is a massive burden on local families right now. We are coming together to bridge that gap and ensure no one is left behind.

How you can help:
👂Listen in: Hear the full plans on the Morning Mix.
🎗Support: We are looking for businesses and individuals to help us fund these immediate therapeutic services.
🔄Share: Help us get the word out!

Let’s protect and support the most vulnerable in our community together. 💙

15/04/2026

✨ Availability Just Opened for Couples Counselling ✨

If you and your partner are feeling stuck, disconnected, or simply want to strengthen your bond, now is the perfect time to reach out.

Our couples counselling sessions provide a safe, supportive space to:
💛 Improve communication
💛 Rebuild trust
💛 Deepen emotional connection

Appointments are limited, so don’t wait, secure your spot today.

📧 info@lighthousepsychology.ie

🌐 https://lighthousepsychology.ie/

13/04/2026

This is your sign to stop and take a breathe! Smell something pleasant and take some time describing the scent 👃

10/04/2026

Can specific autism symptoms predict mealtime challenges? 🧠🥗

Understanding the "why" behind behaviour is at the heart of what we do. A new multicentre study has identified significant associations between autism-related symptoms (such as difficulty learning new skills or response to social cues) and challenges like food refusal.

The research suggests that mealtime isn’t just about the food, it’s often a reflection of how a child interacts with their environment and processes information.

🌍 Perspective Matters: While these results offer valuable insights, the study was based on a cohort in Eastern China. As practitioners in Ireland, we must be cautious about generalising these results. Differences in family structures, educational supports, and social norms mean we cannot be certain how reproducible these specific findings are for Irish children.

We believe in using global research as a starting point while always prioritising the specific cultural and individual needs of the families we see here at Lighthouse Psychology.

Check out the research: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-026-07316-1

08/04/2026

We recently caught up with Louise, our Psychologist and Psychotherapist, whose work spans neurodevelopmental assessment, forensic psychology, and aviation psychology. Working with children, adolescents, and adults, Louise’s approach is also shaped by ongoing Doctoral research.

When we spoke, Louise shared a theme that consistently arises in her clinical work: how people respond in moments of sudden overwhelm.

“In aviation psychology, this is known as the startle response,” she explains, an automatic reaction to unexpected events that can briefly disrupt thinking and decision-making. “In high-risk environments, even a few seconds of cognitive ‘freezing’ can have significant consequences.”

But as Louise highlights, this response isn’t limited to aviation, it’s universal.

“In school environments, children can experience similar responses to sudden demands, sensory input, or social pressure. These moments are often misinterpreted as defiance or inattention, when in reality the nervous system is briefly overloaded.”

Research shows that startle can affect information processing for up to 30 seconds, something Louise believes is highly relevant in understanding behaviour in educational settings.

“That’s why, when I’m assessing someone, I don’t just focus on what’s happening now. I take a developmental perspective, going back as far as behavioural reactions in utero, and then looking at early activity levels, responses to separations from care givers, and recognising patterns of responding to stress over time. It gives a much more clinically meaningful picture of a person.”

By bringing together insights from aviation and clinical practice, Louise aims to reframe how we understand behaviour.

“Ultimately, behaviour isn’t simply a choice, it reflects how the brain and body are coping in that moment, for a person of any age, and we need to start recognising and acknowledging that across different environments.”

06/04/2026

Congratulations Dawn on winning our Easter competition! And thank you everyone for all the fabulous entries!

We look forward to seeing what else our talented community creates for our next competition 👀

Lighthouse Psychology

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