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April 26 – May 30, 2024
FOOD, HEALTH & LIFESTYLE
West Cork therapist pioneers therapy sponsorship program
public services but getting into these or staying long enough in them can be difficult at times, or what is available might not meet all the needs of an individ- ual client. The cost of living has gone up for everyone and some people find it hard to make ends meet. Hence the idea of this unique sponsorship model. Many will say that it can’t be done, and maybe they are right, but it must be attempted.” There are three categories of sponsorship. Anyone interested in contributing can get on board with a donation of as little as €5 per month. These are classed as Private Sponsors, or ‘silent’ donors (Category 1). Corporate Donors (Category 2) will be able to avail of online promo- tion and finally Direct Sponsors (Category 3) can fund a known beneficiary. Markus explains: “the collected funds will be pooled and selected clients will be part funded.”
Integrative Psychotherapist. Over time he has moved from the more hands-on approach or Body focused Psychotherapy to combining this with talk thera- py. Today his practice is based on Humanistic and Person-cen- tred Psychology and modern Trauma-informed Therapies. “In a session for example, not only am I observing the responses in the body but would regularly invite the client to become aware of the physical sensations that often accompany the emotions, as well as their breathing. These mindful tech- niques can help to self-regulate and integrate the body and mind,” he explains. Throughout his career he has at times engaged with other counselling techniques like Solution Focused Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). However his interest lies mainly with Depth-Psy- chotherapy and trauma work. This includes a practice known
that Compassion-Focused-Ther- apy allows him to facilitate a healing process for the Psyche. He uses Internal Family Sys- tems (IFS) to help clients access and heal their protective and wounded inner parts and also regularly works with imagery and dreams. While his interest in spirituality and different traditions and teachings has helped him further his own understanding of certain tech- niques, overall he uses a very down-to-earth approach in his work, varying the tools he uses to meet specific client needs. “My ‘toolbox’ has become quite large over time. Some- times these ‘tools’ are used in a blended way in the inquiry and sometimes more specific,” he says. “I can’t emphasise enough the importance of integration as part of this work: to bring the different techniques into an organic blend that unfold in the therapy room in a very natural way, not a technical approach.” Driven by his curiosity to understand the nature of our minds, wounding and suffering, Markus enjoys engaging in Continuing Professional De- velopment (CPD). “If I benefit from CPD – so do my clients,’ he shares. “It keeps me engaged and inspired most of the time.” But it’s the moments of witnessing deep connection with and within the client and the insights that come and bring change, expansion and trans- formation that are the highlight. “Those moments can be very special and beautiful.” With over 24 years of experience in Psychotherapy, Markus’ work as a Supervisor involves guiding and supporting the work of new and experi- enced therapists. This trusted partnership fosters an environ- ment of reflection, growth, and ultimately, the best possible outcomes for the clients.
His Case-Consultancy service for individuals and small groups offers experienced practitioners a space in which to explore dilemmas and benefit from a fellow therapist’s experience. For more information on
Clinical Supervision and Case-Consultancy go to: www.blue-room consulting.ie or for Counselling and Psychother- apy services go to www.markushohmann.ie.
A West Cork based Counsellor and Psychotherapist is trialing a groundbreaking sponsorship programme with the aim of facilitating low- cost counselling within private practice. A s well as providing Counselling and Psychotherapy services, Accredited Psychotherapist and Supervisor Markus Hohmann offers Clinical Supervision and Case-Consultancy at his practice ‘The Blue Room – Consulting’ in Bantry. Now Markus is hoping to attract philanthropists who, through their ‘silent’ donations, will make counselling services more accessible to people who are otherwise struggling to pay for private services. With a possible sponsor al- ready having expressed interest, Markus is hopeful of getting the programme off the ground. “The idea is like ‘paying it forward’, so that someone who needs it can benefit,” he explains. “People who had adverse childhood experiences and trauma often struggle dis- proportionately with financial security. Of course there are the
Full confidentiality for the beneficiary is of course guar - anteed and all ethical issues are being carefully observed. Markus strives to integrate a number of different approaches into his work. He is trained in Biodynamic and Transper- sonal Psychotherapy and is an accredited Humanistic and
as Eye-Movement Desensi- tisation-and-Reprocessing (EDMR), a trauma-specific technique that has proven to be very very effective when it comes to the actual processing of traumatic experiences. Mindfulness is important on a personal as well as professional level to Markus, who explains
A vending machine to recycle school uniforms could combat the problem of ‘fast fashion’ according to a think-tank of African and West Cork schoolchildren at an international classrooms exchange initiative. Three students and their teachers flew in from the Kenyan city of Nairobi to an enthusiastic welcome from delighted pupils and teachers at Scoil na mBuachaillí in Clonakilty earlier this month. The plan? To discuss the growing problems caused by fast fashion and climate change. The sustainability think-tank took place under the inaugural Global Classrooms Exchange organised by Green Schools Ireland and Eco-School Kenya. Together the group presented a range of innovative solutions to the increasing problems posed by fast fashion manufacture. Recent years have seen a rapid surge in the mass-production of cheap, poor quality clothing – and its subsequent rapid disposal – creating a colossal international waste issue. International children’s think-tank in Clonakilty proposes solutions to fast fashion
“It was amazing watching learners becoming solution-providers,” said Matekwa, a second-level teacher and Head of Eco Schools in Kenya.
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Nutritional Therapy Gwen Bastian-Enright MSc, DipNT Nutritional Therapy looks at nutrition/ diet, lifestyle as well as supplements (where indicated) and can include testing and interpretation of blood test results with subsequent recommendations.
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