Cogs Psychotherapy

06/01/2026

I went to the beach for sunrise on Christmas day morning, something that’s become a tradition in the past few years. As there are animals to sort out first, it meant being up far earlier than most would consider on a day off. 🌅

I’ve been thinking about how on days like this there is a voice in my head that pops up saying “you should be resting”, “slow down”, “you can’t just take it easy”.

It sounds like the online advice we’re constantly surrounded by. Sleep in. Take it easy. Don’t do too much. And while all of that can be really valid, it doesn’t always feel right for me.

I’ve been thinking about the difference between being mindful of doing too much, versus doing what I enjoy. I actually like being up and out early!! 🤷‍♀️

I like the quiet, the empty beach/woods, the easy parking.
I like that it fits around meals as I’m not halfway through a walk when I’m suddenly hungry for lunch.
And I really like being home by afternoon, because that’s often when my energy dips and I want to be doing my “down time” then. Cosy and satisfied.

That is what works for me.

There is always a need for balance, and this for me is knowing that I can be flexible when needed, because not everyone wants to meet for a hike at 9am 😉!! But that doesn’t make the preference wrong, or something I “should” be changing.

It’s so easy for our own voice to get drowned out. We are surrounded by advice about what we should be doing, how we should be living, resting, coping. Over time, that can chip away at our trust in ourselves and we start seeking that external reassurance.

I notice I can feel resistant to being told what to do. Maybe you feel some version of that too.

From an ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy) perspective, no behaviour is good or bad, right or wrong. What matters more is whether it aligns with what’s important to you and your values.

And I can now confidently say that being out on an adventure at an unfathomable hour is very much in line with mine. 🪾

That doesn’t mean every day looks like that. But I’m now trusting that inner sense of what I enjoy and what suits me.

Orla 💛

05/01/2026

You don’t need to relive the past to heal from it.

EMDR is a structured therapy that helps reduce the emotional intensity of difficult memories, so they no longer feel as powerful in the present.

It is known for treatment of trauma and PTSD, but can also support anxiety, panic, phobias, self-esteem difficulties, and experiences that continue to show up in your body or nervous system.

I’m Orla, a BABCP Accredited CBT therapist, and EMDR practitioner, currently working towards EMDR accreditation.

I have space for 2–3 EMDR clients, offered online across the UK, Ireland, and internationally, or in person in Co. Wicklow.

If you’re curious about whether EMDR might be a good fit for you, please get in touch by following the links on my page, or via email at info@cogspsychotherapy.com

Orla

Assessment sessions are online only and last for 50 minutes. If you would like to arrange a shorter 30 minute, or longer 90 minute session, please get in touch to arrange this. Please complete the below intake form prior to your first assessment session. https://form.jotform.com/252311596684362 info...

05/01/2026

First day back to work. I had plans for how to ease back in before seeing clients later today. Then things got in the way of my plans.

Chasing the Shetland out of a field he’s not meant to be in.

Fixing the fencing that he took with him.

Frozen water troughs and taps.

Buckets of water.

Cold hands, rushing about.

By the time I sat down, my brain had gone blank. It was a reminder of something I see often in therapy:
We ask our minds to focus before our bodies feel settled.

So, this is my reminder today: plans can change, it’s ok, do what you can, and try not to slip on the ice.

❄️

01/01/2026

New Year, same values-guided intentions ✨

#2026

23/12/2025

If you want nothing, you’ll feel nothing. But the moment you decide to care deeply, anxiety is going to knock on your door. That’s not failure—that’s the cost of being alive to what matters. Anxiety means you’re in the arena.

23/12/2025

✨ Logging off for 2025.
I'm looking forward to the time off, but also to some great things in store for next year.

🌀 In 2026 I will be working towards EMDR accreditation, which means that EMDR will become a more central part of the therapy that I offer, alongside CBT and ACT, to those who are interested in this. I’m looking forward to supporting clients in deeper, body-based ways, that go beyond thinking and talking.

🐴 Equine assisted therapy is growing in the plans for 2026, and I hope to be sharing this side of things a lot more. Equine assisted work is an alternative approach, which is also more body-based, and could be just the thing you are looking for if you have been thinking about therapy, but aren’t sure if traditional ways are for you, or haven’t been for you in the past. If you are curious about how equine assisted therapy works, please get in touch to discuss this further.

🌿

Orla 💛

16/12/2025

Holiday food comments can be tough

You are allowed to go at your pace, eat what feels manageable right now and in ways that support you, which might mean doing different to what others are doing

Having a few responses ready can be helpful, without having to justify yourself. But if this doesn't feel ok, you can step away, or change the topic.

💛

24/11/2025

A little bit about me.

📖 Accredited CBT therapist, and pre-accredited EMDR practitioner.
🧠 ADHDer.
📍I work in-person in Avoca, Co. Wicklow and online internationally.
✨ Alongside my private practice, I work in an eating disorder clinic. This is a special area of interest to me, as well as working with trauma, self-esteem difficulties, and perfectionsm.
💚💛 Nature, animals, & a new hobby of the week.

17/11/2025

Cold, dark, wet.
These are conditions that push us indoors more at this time of year. I do think it's important to lean into the change in season by allowing ourselves to rest more, or engage with indoor hobbies. ☕🧙‍♀️🎨

However, there is something powerful in also embracing nature and its elements. Horses offer a wonderful space for us to do this. Seeing them play, roll in the mud, rest in the moments of sun.

If equine assisted sessions interest you, get in touch to find out more. Set in the beautiful countryside of Avoca, Co. Wicklow. Where we can ground outdoors, move, and take shelter in the barn or therapy room, warm up with a hot drink, and check-in.

14/11/2025

If the "drop a dress size before Christmas" posts are getting to you, know that you are not alone. This is a hard season for anyone with a history of food struggles. We & our bodies deserve care & compassion, rather than control and scrutiny.

I chose this video because I love how horses seek out what supports them. I've seen them all eating the gorse bushes this week, which they did less of in spring and summer. They don't question it, feel they have to earn it, or compare to the horse beside them.

Care for yourself by keeping with meal routines, communicating needs, planning ahead for social events, engaging in hobbies, creativity, reach out for support.
Care for others by being mindful of comments around food/calories/exercise, which may be triggering to someone else.
💛

04/11/2025

I understand what it's like to live in your head; analysing, planning, replaying. The exhaustion that comes with it. 🫨

The more work I do to understand this in myself (a journey that is ongoing and takes time), I am more aware of it happening too with clients, and when we are both getting pulled in my the story of the thoughts in session.

In therapy, we can learn how to respond differently to our thoughts. And when it feels right, we can start to explore further what might be underneath this overthinking. The feelings, and experiences that may have been pushed away.

Therapy with me allows you to start to explore this in a slow and safe way. To bring awareness to it in the room. Starting to allow these feelings to have a space.

In a recent session, we noticed the worry, self-criticism, and analysing coming in. We allowed for the feelings to be there too, and after some time the client noticed that the intensity eased. This isn't always the case, but often those feelings need a place too.

EMDR informs a lot of this practice and I find it beneficial because it gets us out of our head and into our body.

Orla 💛
info@cogspsychotherapy.com

22/09/2025

I have always loved Autumn 🍂. The just right temperature that pleases the senses, crunchy leaves, warm drinks, cosy fleeces... But the shift to equal hours of day and night can be a challenge for many people, myself included.

These next few weeks I intend to focus on little moments of gratitude, going slower, changing the pace ahead of winter, and trying to take the perfectionistic pressure off in any little ways that I can. 🧡

How do you feel about the change in season? What might you be ready to let go of?

Orla