A Psychologist on a Mission

I believe, fundamentally, in a person’s ability to change. That you are here, reading my personal statement of belief on my website, suggests that you too are curious about the prospect of change in your life. It would appear, then, that we might already have something in common. Welcome!

A Case for Psychotherapy in a Chaotic World

People generally seek out psychotherapy when they find themselves in states of unbearable emotional pain, states that they are struggling to cope with or resolve on their own. Indeed, it is a challenging task being a human being today in such an unpredictable, fast-paced world, one where, not infrequently, things don’t always go our way or turn out as we’d planned.

Entrusting another person to bear witness to your distress, whatever it may be, is an act of great vulnerability. As the therapeutic process begins to take shape, however, and the relationship between patient and therapist is reliably established, so the act of a sustained focus on you – the patient – begins in time to inculcate an ability to listen to and learn about the intricacies of your own emotional life. This, in due course, challenges you to begin to try and act in accordance with what you have learnt in the therapy in order to resolve those emotional problems which brought you to see me in the first place. This is how emotional suffering is ultimately alleviated in the course of a psychotherapy.

Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way

I have come to appreciate that most people harbour a desire to change something about the feelings, thoughts and behaviours that disturb them most. It seems to me, therefore, less a matter of a will to change but rather a prevailing uncertainty of how to change, and, similarly, where to begin, that ultimately inhibits this desire.

As a psychologist, I am skilled in attending to the naturally occurring ‘fault lines’ in people’s thoughts and behaviour, and by bringing these blind spots to my patient’s attention sensitively and timeously, we attempt to facilitate a gradual reacquaintance within you of a feeling of agency over your emotional life.

I am able to enter into a therapeutic process with you, one that is guided by the intricacies of our relating to each other over time so that the therapy itself becomes a microcosm for meaningful change out there in the world. This is achieved through the sustained application of our mutual curiosities and attentions, efforts aimed at discovering your emotional world anew and then acting thereafter to change in vivo your present-day relations to yourself, significant others, and the broader life circumstances surrounding you.

New Beginnings

From here you are able to begin the deployment of your revived self-awareness into areas of your life that need emotional attenuation, thus opening up the possibility of generating novel action-perception loops of experience that are more satisfying, mature, and useful than their predecessors. This heralds an important shift in the therapy process from a focus on the practice of listening and learning, to one of now actively changing.

This phase of therapy is not without some anxiety, of course, because it requires you to actively do something differently in the world (e.g., saying “No!” for the first time, or actually asking for a particular need to be met). However, soon enough, it tends to bring with it life-giving relief from those circumstances that have hitherto constrained your very nature and being (note: this change is also true at the neurochemical level of the brain, e.g., having increased dopamine availability following a depressive state).

Where necessary, final adjustments are made during this final phase of treatment so that further reconsolidation of one’s preferred feeling states (and, importantly, how to sustain them) might be achieved before the therapeutic alliance comes to a mutually agreed-upon close.

Counselling For Long-Term Relief

Individual Counselling

Whether or not you’re living with a significant mental illness, contemporary adult life on its own can be taxing enough as it is. I can help with challenges related to life transitions, anger management and self-esteem issues, as well as more severe concerns like anxiety, depression and bipolar, amongst other things (see “Areas of clinical interest and expertise“).

Couples Counselling

Being in a relationship can be incredibly rewarding, but they require constant ‘work’ to keep them that way. Communication difficulties, issues surrounding sex, intimacy, work and money are some of the common relationship problems experienced by even “healthy” couples.

Family Counselling

Familial bonds are some of the most enduring and significant relationships we will ever experience in our lives. That said, sometimes things go horribly wrong amongst those we were supposed to love. I can help you and your family find stability again by providing a safe environment to come together so that each member can freely communicate, listen to, and hear each other in order to resolve any underlying issues.

Older Adolescents (16+)

The life and times of the contemporary adolescent is confusing at best, and it is often when one’s mental health first starts taking a bit of strain. Common issues at this life stage include self-esteem issues, identity formation, new friendship circles, boyfriends/girlfriends and bullying, as well as a growing need for independence and separation from one’s parents and care-givers – that’s a lot!

Why Counselling With Bryn O’Reilly?

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I have undergone expert counselling training and supervision in South Africa.

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I have been a patient of psychotherapy for as long as I’ve been a practitioner of it. I retain, therefore, a deep connection to the perspectives and vulnerabilities of the patient.

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I tailor my therapies to meet your idiosyncratic needs, focusing on your unique emotional goals and aim to foster a collaborative and empowering environment.

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I provide both in-person and online therapy to patients in Portugal (and internationally, as needed).

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I value and respect people from various backgrounds, with diverse experiences and from different cultural contexts, thereby creating an inclusive and affirming space for everyone to explore their inner world.

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I value your privacy and operate under strict confidentiality with strong privacy protocols.

Embrace a Healthier Mindset