Mindfulness & Compassion for Mental Health Professionals

Barry has trained in a variety of complementary techniques – Mindfulness and Compassion (MBSR, MBCL, MSC and Awakening Joy), Psychotherapy and Yoga 

He works with groups and with people on a one to one basis.

He has practiced meditation for over fifteen years. He is a member and former chairperson of the Mindfulness Teachers Association of Ireland and currently sits on the supervision subcommittee. He has trained as a mindfulness supervisor and in the use of MBI:TAC with the Mindfulness Network (University of Bangor).

Barry worked for over ten years as a corporate lawyer and has significant experience facilitating mindfulness and compassion training for organisations in a variety of contexts. 

In 2017, he founded Mindfulness for Law (www.mindfulnessforlaw.ie) with the intention of bringing the benefits of mindfulness training to the legal profession. He has facilitated workshops and courses in many law firms and he works as a facilitator and student counsellor with the Law Society of Ireland.

In 2016, he co-founded Nature in Mind (natureinmind.ie), an educational organisation which aims to help people improve their health and well-being through mindfully connecting with the natural world.

Dr Tony Bates was Head of Psychology for 30 years in St James’s Hospital Dublin and established and directed the MSc Cognitive Psychotherapy in TCD until 2006. He founded Jigsaw (The National Centre for Youth Mental Health) in 2006 to serve young people and their mental health needs. He was CEO until his retirement in 2018. Tony has been active in shaping and writing government policy since 2006. He was made honorary Professor of Psychology in UCD in September 2018 as a tribute to his contribution to the field. He trained as a mindfulness teacher in University of North Wales, Bangor in 2001 and has been active since in disseminating Mindfulness in Ireland. He is the patron of the MTAI. His most recent book is ‘Breaking the Heart Open,’ part memoir, part exploration of the current state of mental health care in Ireland.

Mindfulness Teacher, Supervisor, Course Co-ordinator for The Mindfulness Centre for Professional Training, Director of Mindfulness Teachers Association of Ireland.

Erica trained with the founders of The Mindfulness Centre for Professional Training in 2015 and is now a Course coordinator with the centre. She trained to teach Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). She trained also in Mindful Communication with Greenzone Institute in 2018 to lead groups. She is a supervisor and trained in MBI TAC. She is currently studying a MSc in Psychotherapy. She sits on the board for The Mindfulness Teachers Association of Ireland.

Mindfulness Training in the Workplace

Along with colleagues from the teaching team with The Mindfulness Centre , Erica facilitates online sessions and courses which are tailored mindfulness and compassion-based trainings using the latest researh and neuroscience designed for work places and organisations.

Therapeutic Approach
Erica has a HDip in psychotherapy and is currently undergoing a MSc in Psychotherapy and her understanding of the therapeutic relationship and developmental theory informs her mindfulness work.

Previous Experience

Erica has worked for many years in the  eco-tourism industry followed by a number of years in banking.  Working and understanding the culture in corporate organisations has been foundational in her application of mindfulness and compassion based intervention in the workplace.

Qualifications

Dip. Mindfulness Based Interventions (Mindfulness Centre for Professional Training), Supervision training, Diploma in Mindful Communication, paws.b teacher(Mindfulness in Schools Project), BSc. Environmental Science, H.Dip.Psychotherapies Studies, Cert. Counselling skills.

Mindfulness Teaching and Training

I teach the following mindfulness courses:

• Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction
• Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy
• Mindful Workplace PAUSE programme

I meet the requirements of the Good Practice Guidelines for Teaching Mindfulness-Based Courses published by the Mindfulness Teachers Association of Ireland To view these, go to good practice guidelines

Personal Practice

I’ve had a personal meditation practice since 2010. My foundational practices are mindfulness, vipassana and compassion based inquiries. I have regularly attended silent meditation retreats and I have one-to-one weekly guidance from an experienced supervisor when teaching 8 week courses.

Interests  

Erica spends most of spare time learning about burgeoning relational sciences (infant and adult attachment, relational neuroscience, polyvagal theory, trauma, and depth psychology). As a child she found solace in nature and in particular wildflowers & trees.  She has a particular interest in grief work and how this might play an key role in the way that we engage in social mindfulness with regards to biodiversity loss and the climate crisis. She is one of seven daughters and has three girls of her own and is very interested in how mindfulness and self compassion can be used to support women. She loves poetry, film, reading, walking with her Tibetan Terrier in the woods and believes very deeply the power of groups.

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Professor Brendan Kelly, Professor of Psychiatry/ Psychiatrist at Tallaght University Hospital TCD/Tallaght University Hospital, and UCD Visiting Full Clinical Professor at University College Dublin School of Medicine and Medical Sciences.

In addition to his medical degree (MB BCh BAO), he holds Master’s degrees in epidemiology (MSc), healthcare management (MA), Buddhist studies (MA) and Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MSc); and doctorates in medicine (MD), history (PhD), governance (DGov) and law (PhD).  His research interests include mental health legislation, human rights, and the history of psychiatry. He is most interested in the extent to which persons with mental illness participate in civic and social life, and the barriers they and their families face in exercising their rights, including economic and social rights.

He is a prolific author and his most recent books include  ‘Hearing Voices: The History of Psychiatry in Ireland’ (2016), ‘Mental Illness, Human Rights and the Law’ (2016) and ‘The Doctor Who Sat For A Year’ (2019), Asylum: Inside Grangegorman (2020), In Search of Madness: A Psychiatrist's Travels Through the History of Mental Illness (2022),  Resilience: Lessons from Sir William Wilde on Life After Covid (2023).

Mindfulness Teacher with The Mindfulness and Compassion Centre:

Rachel began her training in teaching mindfulness in 2017 in Bangor University through their teacher training pathway. In 2020 she completed a Masters in Mindfulness Based Interventions in UCD, and was awarded with the Mindfulness Award for best performance in the Masters from the UCD School of Psychology. She has completed further training in other mindfulness based interventions including Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, and Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness. Rachel is a part of the Tutor Team for Trainee Mindfulness Teacher's in The Mindfulness and Compassion Centre. She is a registered member of the The Mindfulness Teacher's Association of Ireland.

In 2020 Rachel set up Insight Out Mindfulness and Therapy, a platform where she provides evidence-based mindfulness courses, retreats and one to one sessions for members of the public, hospitals, members of the LGBTQI+ Community and Direct Provision Centres. She has a special interest in the role of mindfulness and compassion in supporting adults with ADHD, and women experiencing infertility and pregnancy loss.

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‍Lead Mental Health Occupational Therapist with The Mindfulness and Compassion Therapy Centre:

Rachel is a Senior Mental Health Occupational Therapist who graduated from Trinity College in 2007. She now specialises in Occupational Therapy Mental health and neurodiversity. She has worked in various sectors for the past 16 years, including disability, paediatrics, equine assisted therapy, and has specialised in the area of mental health for the past 9 years. Rachel spent 7 years working as a Senior Clinician in the National Centre for Youth Mental Health before moving into OT private practice.

Rachel’s approach to OT is firmly grounded in cultivating more self-compassion and awareness in order to support people to engage meaningfully in what’s important to them in their lives. Rachel has training in various therapeutic approaches which are also woven into her practice, including ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy), CFT (Compassion Focused Therapy) Solution Focused Therapy, and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy.

She specialises in providing occupational therapy for adults and young people who are neurodivergent, or who are experiencing mental health difficulties. She also has a special interest in supporting people with ADHD. Rachel is CORU Registered and a Member of AOTI

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