Simon Courtney, (Pre-accredited Psychotherapist)
Contact: scourtne@tcd.ie
My Approach:
The approach I take to therapy is client-centred: every person is unique, and the human healing journey is very personal. For me, healing is a restoration of movement, of that in us which may have come out of alignment to cope with our early life circumstances or response to the family system into which we were born.
My wish/intention is to join you in this movement, and to support the unfolding of the uniqueness in you.
Change can be challenging but it is by no means impossible. You know yourself best and determine the depth and direction of therapy.
I use an integrative and individualized approach drawing on different theories depending on the needs of the client. I draw on multiple treatment modalities, with a strong foundation in Focusing (Gene Gendlin), mindfulness, body-oriented approaches, and attachment dynamics in adulthood (Una McCluskey).
My own healing and learning journeys have also been greatly impacted by my teacher, Thomas Hübl, with whom I have trained in Collective Trauma, Presence Awareness, and Healing Developmental Processes. I continue to learn from Thomas, and this engagement has considerably shaped and influenced my therapeutic work.
Ethos:
“Everything that comes into relationship is allowed to heal”
Thomas Hübl
This principle is at the core of my work: by bringing your experience into relation, together we honour the intelligence of your unique path to healing.
My therapeutic philosophy is that I am a guest in your self-exploration and healing path, serving as an objective support through your journey. I believe that challenges can invite us towards uncovering our innate strengths and resilience and also guide us to develop safe and supportive relationships.
Arranging a Session/Practicalities:
Please feel free to reach out if you have questions or would like to talk more. Finding the right therapist takes time, and I take no offense whatsoever if we have a first meeting and you feel that working with me isn’t the
right fit for you: I value honesty and want you to feel empowered to do what’s best for you.
I primarily offer online Zoom/Skype sessions (with the option of phone sessions when necessary). I have limited availability in the late evenings and weekends. Sessions last 60 minutes and cost €80.
About Me:
My name is Simon Courtney. I am a pre-accredited psychotherapist with the Association of ProfessionalCounsellors & Psychotherapists (APCP), Ireland. I completed my MA in Counselling and Psychotherapy with the Irish College of Humanities and Applied Sciences in 2019.
Prior to this I had studied human genetics, and then felt drawn to medicine. I wanted to really understand our coding as human beings and the fundamental building blocks of life, but I longed to bring my interests of epigenetics and healing into more visceral ways of understanding both myself and others. I wanted more depth in my interactions with people, more time, more listening. So, I chose to leave medicine and follow that calling and travel the world to find what brings me Eros and joy. Along with my travels, a decade of inner and relational work inspired me to follow my passion and love for listening to and understanding all that makes us who we are, to invite compassion and responsibility for where we are in our lives, to embrace our resources and witness our growth and resilience. This calling brought me to my studies of psychotherapy and to work therapeutically and managerially in homeless services for 2 years in Dublin before moving to Germany with my wife and child in 2019.
Since 2020, I have been assisting my friend and colleague, Psychotherapist Emma Philbin Bowman, in developing and hosting an online course themed The Art of Wanting.
I am a trainee in two other online groups led by psychotherapists and coaches, looking at integrating our power as men, and another at collective trauma currently arising in response to the Corona virus pandemic.
I receive regular clinical supervision with my supervisor, Tessa Normand, MIAHIP, which greatly helps me to reflect on, and deepen my work.
Professional Affiliation/Commitment
As a pre-accredited member of the Association of Professional Counsellors & Psychotherapists (APCP), Ireland, I adhere to their high standard of practice and work to their code of ethics. I am currently in the process of completing my client hours to become a fully accredited member.