Psychological Therapy
and
Clinical Supervision
Dr Brian Garvey (C. Psychol., Ps.S.I.; CPsychol., B.P.S.; AFBPsS) is a Chartered Counselling Psychologist with 15 years’ experience in adult mental health in Ireland and the UK
Brian provides psychological therapy to a diverse range of people, with a wide variety of difficulties and needs. He has also trained mental health professionals and provides clinical supervision to psychologists and other practitioners.
What I can help with
Anxiety, stress, burnout
Depression, low mood, persistent sadness, grief and loss
Traumatic life events, recent or past
Shame and self-criticism, low self-esteem
Anger and aggression towards self or others
Interpersonal or relationship difficulties
Physical illness and disability
Common challenges associated with being an elite athlete or sports person
Adjustment to significant life changes or transitions
My background
I grew up in Ireland, then studied and worked in the USA and UK, before returning to Dublin in 2018. Prior to launching this private practice, I worked as a Counselling Psychologist in a HSE-funded community mental health service, and before that spent 10 years working in the UK as a Counselling Psychologist in the NHS.
I have a doctorate in Counselling Psychology from City University London and an undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. My doctoral training included research into the factors that encourage men to seek psychological help, and research into the psychological impacts of cancer.
I am registered as a Chartered Psychologist with the Psychological Society of Ireland (C. Psychol., Ps.S.I.), as a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (CPsychol., B.P.S.; AFBPsS), and as a Practitioner Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council. I am also an Associate of the Irish Centre for Compassion Focused Therapy.
I am trained in a range of psychological models including Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Chair Work, and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT).
Clinical Supervision
Most of my roles have involved providing ad hoc psychological consultation and/or ongoing supervision to mental health professionals including Psychologists, Psychotherapists, Psychologists in Training, Psychiatrists, Occupational Therapists, Social Workers, Community Mental Health Nurses and Healthcare Assistants. I have established reflective practice groups on inpatient units, designed and delivered team formulation sessions in multi-disciplinary teams, and set up Personal & Professional Development groups for psychologists in training at City University London.
I have attended a range of supervision trainings including those informed by action methods/experiential practice. I am on the BPS Register of Applied Psychology Practice Supervisors (RAPPS). I am now able to offer clinical supervision in a private practice setting. In recent times I have been commissioned to deliver clinical supervision for St. Vincent’s Hospital Dublin, The Priory Hospitals UK and The Compassionate Mind Foundation. I would be delighted to hear from you if you are interested in discussing your supervision needs.
“The supervision I received from Brian was invaluable and continues to be my most helpful supervision experience so far, even years down the line. As a supervisor, Brian is open, curious, compassionate and non-judgemental. He was able to help me navigate some challenging situations by guiding me to my own answers. Brian set the boundaries of the supervision sessions up thoughtfully so that it always felt like a psychologically safe space in which I could explore my work. Brian allowed the supervision to be free flowing so that space was allowed each week to see what came up, rather than me feeling I needed to prepare a script beforehand.
Brian is an excellent supervisor and I know he put a lot of time and energy into thinking about our sessions and as a result, together we were able to navigate any situation that arose. Brian has a wealth of experience and wisdom and isn’t afraid to be open and honest. I always felt that Brian was supportive of me and he really helped me grow into the Counselling Psychologist I am today”
Dr Hayley Silcox, Principal Psychologist, Inpatient Eating Disorder Unit.
My approach
I tailor my approach to the unique life circumstances and needs of each of my clients. When embarking on psychological therapy, the initial focus is on understanding and making sense of a person’s individual difficulties and strengths, in light of their life experiences. This takes into account social and cultural factors, which have a significant impact on our lives. Ultimately, my aim is to help each of my clients to change their lives in positive ways and enable them to better manage the inevitable ups and downs of life.
My clinics
I provide short and longer term psychological therapy. Sessions can take place by video and in person in Dun Laoghaire on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Currently, I cannot provide evening appointments.
Please note that my therapy clinics are currently full and there are a number of people waiting to start therapy. If you are able to wait to start therapy then please do not hesitate to contact me and I would be happy to have an initial discussion with you.
I have a small number of slots available for clinical supervision and would be delighted to hear from practitioners seeking new or additional supervision.
In clients’ own words
"I had never felt comfortable talking to anyone about how I was feeling. However, within one session with Brian, I felt for the first time that not only was I talking to someone who empathised but also someone who understood my problems and could give me the practical tools to help me with my mental health. Brian is an excellent listener and has a great way of providing calm oversight to help me when I am going through a whirl of different emotions. I have always felt much better after every session I have had with Brian, and I could not recommend Brian highly enough to anyone experiencing mental health difficulties. Although I am still working to improve my mental health, working with Brian has been the single biggest improvement, and I am very grateful that I have been able to work with him on my problems".
“I met with Brian as I am recovering from a severe episode of depression and psychosis. I found him to be most kind, attentive and above all very professional in his dealings with me. He explained the inner workings of the mind to me and provided me with references along with numerous exercises to work on to allay any episodes of stress. Together we developed a plan that was especially tailored to my needs and that I can refer on a regular basis. I have no hesitation in recommending Brian”.
"After many years of trying different types of therapy with many different therapists, I was ready to give up, nothing seemed to be helping. Then I met Brian. I had heard before about the importance of the relationship between the therapist and the patient. Brian's sense of humour, soothing and caring tone, and complete engagement in what I was trying to say immediately gave me relief and hope… and I had a lot to say!! He has been a real positive rock during a very changing time in my life and I am hoping to continue to work with him during the more challenging times ahead. His blend of theory, practical exercises, empathy, and curiosity make him incredibly approachable and trustworthy. Even the opportunity to regularly express my vulnerabilities man to man has had such a positive impact on me."
“I initially started therapy with Brian because I did not know why I felt the way I did. I was nervous about starting therapy but from the very beginning Brian put me completely at ease and has helped me to understand myself, my past, my feelings toward myself and what I want for myself.
Working with Brian has improved my life in ways I couldn’t have imagined. His approach is hugely soothing and compassionate, friendly and understanding, and he has always met me with an unwavering engagement. In my case, therapy with Brian has involved deep work in making sense of my emotions and my childhood, but also really useful practical tips and exercises that changed my outlook and how I cope with life.
I would really recommend Brian to anyone dealing with problems or looking to work on themselves, and I look forward to continuing to work with him”.
“I find it difficult to adequately articulate just how impactful therapy with Brian has been for me. Before I began working with Brian, there had been many aspects of therapeutic practices that I had already explored and a lot of them simply did not resonate with me.
From the outset, I found Brian to be extremely engaged and attentive, always wanting to work with me to try to find something that did resonate, instead of pushing practices that didn't (something I had experienced in the past with other therapists). Therapy with Brian felt like a collaborative experience, which was a revelation to me.
As someone who has a tendency to intellectualize and rationalize feelings and emotions, I wanted to explore more experiential practices to move away from purely talk based therapy. This kind of work I found to be extremely challenging, confronting and often very painful. But it is a real testament to Brian's grounding and compassionate presence that I felt safe and contained enough to enter into these practices and even look forward to them at times!
I found the experiential work we did to be indescribably powerful and useful for making progress towards actual real-life change. Aside from all that, Brian is an attentive, attuned and collaborative therapist, full of warmth and compassion, and for all the tears there were also many laughs.”
“I am incredibly grateful to have had Brian supporting me through a really difficult period in my life. He's an incredibly skilled therapist with a calming and grounding presence. I always felt my personal safety was at the forefront of our work together. What I really appreciated is his ability to connect on a human level rather than just within a therapist-client dynamic. He shows such deep empathy as I shared painful experiences.
He has a great way of balancing the deep work we did with moments of humor and light-heartedness, which made the process feel less overwhelming. During a time of significant personal change, these sessions provided a sense of security. He strikes a lovely balance of reflection, present inner work and developing self care skills for the future. Thanks to our work together, I now have the confidence to continue my own personal growth.
This was a transformative experience for me, and I can't recommend Brian highly enough for anyone considering their own therapy journey.”