Disability Psychotherapy Ireland
Events
Disability Psychotherapy Ireland ‘Save the Date’
12th of December 2025
Holding Space: Reflections from Disability Psychotherapists on Trauma, Identity,
and Ethical Practice
Friday, 12th December 2025
9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
In person /online UCD Club, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4.
BDetails to come
Followed by a Book Launch:
Disability Psychotherapy: What it is and Why it Matters Edited by Angelina Veiga and Dr Valerie Sinason.
About the Conference
Holding Space is a reflective and research-informed conference exploring trauma through the lens of psychotherapists working with individuals with intellectual disability. Rooted in disability justice, this event acknowledges the lived experience of intellectually disabled people while amplifying the ethical responsibilities of therapists in co-creating inclusive, affirming therapeutic spaces.
Expert speakers including Dr Valerie Sinason, Dr Eimir McGrath, Sorca McGrath and Gayle Doyle will speak to the themes of
- Relational safety and the therapeutic alliance in disability contexts
- Trauma-informed care adapted for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities
- Identity-affirming practice and resisting internalised ableism
- Ethical practice: balancing psychotherapy and advocacy
This is a space for practitioners to deepen understanding, challenge assumptions, and commit to practices that uphold dignity, healing, autonomy, and accessibility.
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