Online NRC - Balancing Therapeutic Process and Academic  Research in Counselling and Psychotherapy 

Presenters Bio's:

Gerry has worked for half a century in mental health.  He has held roles as psychiatric nurse, addictions counsellor, cognitive behavioural therapist, generic counsellor, psychotherapist and Clinical Supervisor.  His work has involved experience in general psychiatry, addictions, eating disorders, dementia and family therapy.  He was a tutor at Trinity College Dublin on the Diploma in Counselling, at NUI Maynooth on the Certificate in Addictions Studies and lectured at ATU Sligo on Applied Social Care in the Degree in Social Studies course. He had facilitated countless training workshops for groups all over Ireland. Alongside his mental health career, he has had a parallel career in the theatre as actor, director and writer.  His historical trilogy of plays explored the courage of real people including Martin Luther (in The First Protestant), David Lloyd George (in The last Prime Minister of Ireland) and Sylvia Pankhurst (in The sceptical Suffragette).  His adaptation of James Joyce’s Ulysses has toured the USA, UK, Ireland and Switzerland to critical acclaim.  His latest one man show I had to go for Counselling has toured  venues in Ireland in 2025 and 2026 and featured as part of the IACP’s supervision forum in May 2026 on “Creativity in Supervision”.

Aisling is chair of the IACP Research Committee and an IACP accredited counsellor and psychotherapist. She works in private practice in Carlow and speaks on and facilitates wellbeing workshops. Her clinical and research interests include trauma-informed and neuro-affirming practice, neuroscience, the relationship between research and clinical work and human wellbeing. She is an independent researcher for the Heritage and Wellbeing Study in Carlow, a mixed-methods interdisciplinary project examining the wellbeing effects of visiting heritage sites.

Caitriona is vice-chair of the Research Committee, with a BSc in Counselling & Psychotherapy and PhD in Psychology. Caitriona's research background continues to inform how she engages with research and how she practices in session. Caitriona works as a therapist with the Limerick Youth Service's BeWell Team as well as in private practice.

Dr. Breda Friel is an accredited therapist and clinical supervisor with IACP and BACP. Her practice includes work in primary care settings, with a specialisation in trauma debriefing and support following critical events. Breda is an Associate Senior Lecturer at Ulster University, with a long-standing record of academic teaching and research. She has published on suicide-prevention policy in Ireland, Autism and mental health, the relationship in practice, trauma management, crisis, and Covid-19. Her current research focuses on the unfolding narrative and practice themes emerging from the defective block’s crisis in Donegal.  

 
9.30am: Registration and Welcome

10am - 11.15am: Gerry Farrell: The Importance of the  Relationship in Counselling and Psychotherapy

11.15am - 11.45am: Break and space for personal reflection

11.45am - 1pm: Aisling O’Connor and Catriona  Kinsella: The Role of Research 

1pm - 2pm: Lunch

2pm - 3.15pm: Breda Friel: The Role of Supervision

3.15pm - 3.30pm: Break

3.30pm - 4.15pm: Panel Discussion

4.15pm - 4.30pm Closing Remarks

Gerry Farrell:
The Importance of the Relationship in Counselling and Psychotherapy

Define Procrustean Practice

Distinguish between clinical and relationship focus

Distinguish between method and relationship focus

Understand the concept of the “Cinderella Complex”

Understand the concept of “being informed” as opposed to dominated by theory

Distinguish between being empathetic and striving to show empathy

Distinguish between identification and empathy

Name “Professional and Personal blocks to the relationship”

 Aisling O’Connor and Catriona Kinsella:

The Role of Research
This presentation will explore what research-informed practice means for counsellors and psychotherapists, also introducing the concept of practice-informed research. Both seminal and current research on the therapeutic relationship and the working relationship in a supervision setting will be presented. Ways in which IACP members can be supported to engage with research in their area will also be discussed.

Explore what research tells us about the therapeutic relationship, and whether it can be meaningfully measured.

Develop skills to critically appraise research and integrate it with clinical judgement and professional experience.

 Examine the limits of the evidence base, including how well research populations reflect real clients

 Consider how practitioners and organisations can stay research-informed without becoming research-driven, balancing measurable outcomes with less tangible therapeutic change.

 Dr. Breda Friel:
The Role of Supervision

Counselling and psychotherapy are grounded in relational practice: an engagement between two people aimed at growth, development, or change. In recent years, there has been a shift from relational engagements towards outcome- and results-focused interventions. The literature and research from the 1980s note the impact of this shift on practice effectiveness (Sipporin, 1983). With a focus on measurement, accountability, outcomes, and outputs, the relational process was, if not disregarded, treated as less important, and its central role in supporting client change was diminished. Undoubtedly, evidence-based and research-informed practice informs the professions of counselling and psychotherapy. It increases knowledge, skills, and interventions; improves provision; and enhances practitioners' understanding and confidence in emerging trends and developments. Historically, a sometimes-polarised debate has existed about the value of quantitative versus qualitative methods in social sciences research (Kohler-Reissman:1993; Dean & Fenby:1989), and recent developments have shifted attention toward narrative studies, interpretive work, lived experience evidence, and discourse analysis.  

This workshop examines the role of supervision in supporting practitioners to critically reflect on emerging trends and research outputs, balancing evidence-informed, outcome- and results-focused approaches with the relational process in client practice. We will consider how supervision can support practitioners in developing research-informed knowledge and skills while building confidence in providing client-centred, relational, and process-led practice. 

Panel Discussion: 

Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions to the speakers using the meetings chat function. Efforts will be made by the NRC to ensure questions that asked are put to the panel for comment however, due to imagined time constraints, this cannot be exclusively guaranteed.

 CPD Certs will be emailed to participants after attendance at the Event

The Zoom Link and Password for the event will be sent at least a day or two in advance 

Please ensure to check your spam folder