Conor DonagheyPsychotherapy, Galway

A space to think, and be heard.

Conor Donaghey, integrative psychotherapist in Galway

About

I'm Conor.

I'm an integrative psychotherapist and counsellor based in Galway City. Integrative simply means I don't work from a single fixed method. My foundation is humanistic, and I draw on other approaches, including cognitive behavioural therapy, where they are genuinely useful to you.

In practice that means the work is collaborative and shaped around the person in front of me rather than a script. Some people arrive knowing exactly what they want to work on. Others simply know that something isn't right, without quite being able to name it. Both are real ways to come to this work.

More than anything, I try to offer a space that feels unhurried and honest, where you can say the things that are hard to say and not be judged for them.

I am a fully accredited member of the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP).

Conor

More about me

The idea behind the work

Most of us learned how to survive. Therapy is a chance to learn how to live.

We are shaped in relationship, and it is in relationship that we begin to change. That belief sits underneath everything I do.

How I work

Change happens in relationship, not instruction.

Therapy is, more than anything, a relationship. The kind of change that lasts rarely comes from being told what to do. It comes from a different experience of being with another person, and with yourself.

Early on, we all learn what to expect from closeness: whether it is safe to need someone, whether we will be met or dismissed, whether difficulty can be survived. Those lessons become quiet habits. They often kept us safe. Later, the same habits can be the very things that keep us stuck.

So the work is often slower and more attentive than people expect. We stay with what usually gets rushed past. Progress tends to look less like sudden insight and more like noticing something you couldn't see before, staying with it a little longer, and finding a bit more room to choose.

What working together looks like

  1. We start where you are

    We might begin with what's happening in your life right now, something that's been with you for years, or simply by getting a sense of what brings you here. There's no need to force the conversation into a particular shape.

  2. It's collaborative, and it can change

    We work it out together. Some of it may be practical and focused on the present. Some may be about understanding patterns that have been around a long time. The focus can shift as we go.

  3. There's no fixed programme

    No set number of sessions, no predetermined path. The shape and length of the work develop around you, and we review it together as we go.

Areas of Support

You might recognise some of this.

People come for all sorts of reasons. Often it is less one clear problem and more a feeling that something needs attention. You might see yourself somewhere in here.

  • Anxiety, and worry that won't switch off
  • Feeling low, flat, or stuck
  • Relationships that keep running aground
  • Self-worth, and a sense of not being enough
  • People-pleasing, and saying yes when you'd like to say no
  • Shame, and keeping parts of yourself hidden
  • Feeling overwhelmed, or close to it
  • A quiet disconnection, from others or yourself
  • Big life changes, and the ground shifting under you
  • Patterns that keep repeating, whatever you try
  • Addiction, and needing something to take the edge off
  • Not really knowing what you want
  • Feeling you should be coping better than you are

This can include what people describe as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, stress and burnout, grief, or difficulties in relationships.

Practical details

Some things to know.

Sessions
50 minutesUsually weekly to begin with, which gives the work the best chance to settle.
Fee
€80Per session, paid after each session.
In person
Galway CityDominick Street
Online
Anywhere in IrelandSecure video sessions, wherever you are. How online therapy works →

A note about cancellations

I ask for 24 hours' notice if you need to cancel or rearrange a session. Sessions cancelled with less than 24 hours' notice are charged at the usual session rate.

Get in touch

If any of this resonates, let's talk.

You don't need to explain everything, or be sure. A short message is enough to begin. Getting in touch is not a commitment to start therapy. It is simply a first conversation to see whether this feels like the right fit.

Or call 089 954 4928.

Thanks, your message is on its way.

I've received it and will get back to you as soon as I can. From there we can arrange an initial conversation — a chance to talk through what's brought you here and see whether working together feels right.