I am accredited counsellor with the IACP. I trained in an integrated approach to Counselling and Psychotherapy (BSc) and with my experience in Somatic Education, I have a focus on working with the mind and body within Counselling & Psychotherapy. I use a wide range of counselling and psychotherapeutic interventions in therapy, depending on the circumstances and the needs of the client. I believe most human suffering both mental and physical is the result of some sort of trauma that has happened over the course of our lifetime. I encourage clients to become self aware and to undertake a journey of learning and self improvement. I can help with a wide range of problems from anxiety & stress, to depression and trauma.

Counselling sessions last 50 minutes to an hour.

Somatic Movement Education (SME) is a neuromuscular retraining programme that eliminates muscular tightness and pain by retraining the brain and restoring the nervous system control of muscles through slow guided exercises. It is a gentle therapy that empowers the client (student) to develop self awareness that allows for greater self control of muscle and improved movement.

The founder of Hanna Somatic Movement Education was Thomas Hanna PhD, who studied under Moshe Feldenkrais. He studied neurobiology and wanted to improve people's quality of movement by educating them to understand that habituated stress reflexes contribute to their poor patterns of movement and cause pain.

SME is targeted to reawaken muscle movement that may have been lost over time through a lack of movement or bad patterns of movement. called this Sensory Motor Amnesia. SME can help the following : Shoulder & neck , lower back , pelvis , TMJ (jaw) , Breathing and Walking, to name a few.

Personal movement sessions can help clients understand their movement patterns. The Educator guides the the practitioner through a range of movements with the emphasis on the functional integration of the entire body. Thomas Hanna developed a series of specific protocols ( movement series) that can be employed depending on the restricted movement pattern the student displays.

Individual 1-1 Sessions take place on a physio table and last for 1 hour. Clients ( students) are encouraged to take part in three sessions but this is entirely up to the student.

Somatic Education (SE) is a body oriented approach to healing trauma and stress related conditions. It was developed by Dr Peter Levine , who recognised that people were developing trauma symptoms because of thwarted survival energy that was trapped in the body. SE works by quietly guiding clients to develop an increase tolerance of bodily sensations and suppressed emotions.

Trauma can happen from any situations that overwhelm us, from one off life threatening events to years of cumulative stress. Trauma can result from many situations: accidents, medical procedures, sexual ,physical or emotional abuse, assault, war, natural disasters or conflict. When a person is faced with trauma they can become stuck in flight, flight and freeze, SE provides tools to resolve these fixed states , discharge the survival energy and reset the nervous system. SE educates and trains people to become comfortable with sensation.

The diagram shows what happens the nervous system when it comes into contact with a traumatic event and doesn’t allow the system to discharge the survival energy.

I am in a position to offer Online counselling for anyone interested.

Online Counselling is proven to be as effective as Face to Face  counselling.

Benefits of Online Counselling:

• Very good for anxiety and stress
• Can create a safer counselling space
• No need to leave house
• More time flexibility 
• More efficient, less time travelling 

*Research on online therapy versus can be provided on request.

However in certain circumstances and for certain people, Online Counselling may not be suitable and this will be determined on the first online appointment.

Somatic therapy is also available online, that comprises of guided awareness and movement lessons (touch therapy is not possible).

If interested in Online Counselling please contact Stephen on Info@stephencooke.ie or phone 0857747279

A free 20 minutes consultation is available online if you are interested in seeing if online Counselling could work for you. This session is a general introduction and is not therapy.

Details on how to access the online Counselling session will be sent to you in an email following conformation that you are interested.

Cancellation policy

Same cancellation policy applies as F2F( see T&Cs in website) 24 hr cancellation required.

No refunds but every effort will be made to reschedule if there are technical issues.

Checklist for your first online session:

• Find a quiet space in a room 
• Ensure you can't be disturbed 
• Give yourself time for set up and test online equipment 
• Have a glass of water to hand and anything else you might need
• Have pen and paper handy

Clinic Times

Monday - Friday 9am - 3pm

Wednesday 5pm- 8pm

Fees

Counselling 50min - 1hr €60

Somatic Education

Initial assessment*- 1hr 15 min €80

Follow up sessions - 1 hr €60

*The assessment is a focus on posture and movement.

A basic medical history is taken.

With chronic pain all clients are advised to seek medical advice first to rule out any underlying conditions.

My therapy practice is located near Lunney’s Texaco Service Station on the Sligo road outside Carrick-on-Shannon. More detailed directions are available on appointment.