Nollaig McSweeney DBT Therapist

11/12/2025

The Christmas Stress Bucket by Creative.Clinical.Psychologist captures how
this time of year can be both joyful and overwhelming.

Routines change, emotions run higher, and for many children (and adults!) the “stress bucket” fills quickly.

I love this image because it reminds us that:
🔸️Everyone’s bucket looks different
🔸️Different things fill it
🔸️Different things drain it

✔️Quiet time, boundaries, fresh air and sensory breaks can make a real difference.

⚠️Less helpful habits might give short-term relief but often add to stress overall.

As we head into Christmas, a gentle reminder:
✴️protect your energy,
✴️keep things simple,
✴️notice what helps you and your child stay regulated.

02/12/2025

I aimed to write a haiku every day… I haven’t managed daily, but this is today's one:

The morning light shifts
Piano weaves through quiet air
A candle flickers

Haiku is such a wonderful mindful practice 💚
Hope you find some mindful moments today.

01/12/2025

The next chapter of my work is taking shape. ✨️

Same values, same therapeutic foundations, just a clearer structure, more group programmes, and new resources to support children, teens, and parents.

And… a new name to bring it all together.

More soon.🌱

27/11/2025

Dunmanway Family Resource Centre December 3rd, see details below 👇

27/11/2025

Roblox is back in the news tonight, on RTÉ's Prime Time.

This can understandably worry parents and it’s a reminder that online safety conversations aren’t a one-off, they’re ongoing.

But I want to offer something alongside the concern:

🔹 Many children use Roblox in creative, positive ways, including role-play that helps them practise confidence, teamwork, or bravery in a safe environment.

🔹 The risks are real, but so are the opportunities for connection and growth when parents stay involved and curious.

If you watch the programme tonight, here are three things to keep in mind:

1️⃣ Talk, don’t panic. Ask your child what they enjoy about Roblox and who they play with.
2️⃣ Stay curious. Behind the screen, they may be exploring strengths they’re trying to grow in real life.
3️⃣ Keep boundaries clear. Privacy settings, friend lists, screen break matter.

Edited to add:
I know many parents are deeply worried about the online world and with good reason. There are risks on platforms like Roblox, and children do need strong boundaries, good privacy settings, and supportive adults who stay involved.

My aim with this post isn’t to minimise concern, but to help parents respond in a way that protects connection as well as safety. Panic can shut conversations down, staying curious keeps them open.

18/11/2025

Recently I joined a poetry writing class at Cork College of FET - Clonakilty Centre led by the wonderful Tess Leak. Tess introduced us to Haiku, a Japanese style of poetry that requires us to slow down, notice the tiny details around us, and shape them into 17 simple syllables. A beautiful mindful practice 😍

I went to Kerr's Bookshop Clonakilty to get a book of poems (Lemn Sissay's - 'Let the Light Pour In') and there on the shelf of poetry books was this gorgeous notebook... I do love a notebook! I bought it, and inspired by Sissay, I plan to write a Haiku every morning 🌄

Todays effort:

My fresh new notebook,
Blank pages welcome my pen,
Haiku shaping thoughts.

10/11/2025

Amazing opportunity for TY Students.

Atticus Education is based in Skibbereen and provides a wide range of online learning opportunities.

https://atticusedu.com/TY2026/?fbclid=IwY2xjawN-d-tleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR5LP4PKEIRaPdS1M6c1Cc8FPn9L5fB2yJsqbs-MrVC9CAcO5aTKBB7Rs_fLGw_aem_J6FnIxLFIwBMA25HDmywow

Future Leaders of Screen is an online programme for TY students with Oscar-winning film producer Lord David Puttnam. Students with an interest in the screen sector will join David in small-group seminars to learn more about filmmaking, storytelling, creativity, and social responsibility.

09/11/2025

Does your teen struggle with anxiety, sensory issues, or other learning needs, then the RACE scheme can make exams fairer. Discuss with your teens School. Deadlines below 👇

Reasonable Accommodations at Certificate Examinations (RACE)

🎒 The RACE scheme helps students who have special educational needs sit their state exams without being disadvantaged. This is done by giving you reasonable accommodations, or special arrangements, that make the exam environment fair for you based on your needs.

For example, if you break your arm, you’ll get a scribe to write down your answers.

🏫 Your school applies for reasonable accommodations on your behalf, unless you are an external candidate.

📅 Schools can apply for the RACE scheme from October 2025 for students sitting the Leaving Cert and Junior Cycle exams in 2026.

Applications will close for:

📍 Leaving Certificate on 21 November 2025
📍 Junior Cycle on 12 December 2025

⚠️ Late applications for all students are open from February 2026 until 3 April 2026.

ℹ️ Your school can make an emergency application for unexpected situations in case you get sick or injured. Emergency applications are open from May to June 2026.

03/11/2025

Yesterday I joined Gemma at Cara Holistics and a circle of wonderful women for a Samhain retreat at Cara’s Cabin.

We celebrated the ancient magic unique to this time of year, the scent of woodsmoke and earth, the quiet hum of the land, the wisdom of our ancestors. 🌙

We shared food and laughter, silence and reflection.

There’s something deeply regulating about gathering like that. Sharing space, stories, and stillness. It reminds us that community, ritual and rhythm aren’t luxuries; they’re how we stay grounded, connected, and well.💚

My heart is full. ❤️

Thank you, Gemma, and to all who sat in that circle 🙏

A beautiful beginning to the darker months ahead.

31/10/2025

💬 Things I said in sessions this week…

Several parents raised concerns about their child’s angry outbursts.

Here’s something I regularly say:
👉 Anger is often a bodyguard.
It steps in to protect from feelings that feel too raw, too painful or too embarrassing, like jealousy, sadness, shame, fear...

If we pause and look beneath the anger, there is usually a child who feels left out, embarrassed, powerless, or hurt.

That doesn’t mean we excuse any aggressive behaviour, far from it! Parents regularly hear me say:
“We can explain, but not excuse.”

🤔It is helpful to be curious about the explanation.

It starts with language. Instead of saying “He was being bold again”, try a factual, judgement free description of the behaviour, for example:
🗣️ “He shouted when his brother got to go first.”

That shift, from judgement to observation opens space for understanding, not shame.

💡Takeaway for parents:
Behaviour is communication. The next time your child has an outburst, try asking yourself:
“What might this anger be protecting?”
"What else might be going on?"

It’s not soft, it’s strategic.

20/10/2025

Have you ever noticed how differently children learn and shine? One might spend hours building Lego cities or taking things apart just to see how they work.
Another comes alive through stories, drawing, or music. Some seem to read the emotions in a room better than most adults.

I recently came across the work of Psychologist Howard Gardner who suggests that there isn’t just one kind of intelligence, but many ways of being smart.
He spoke about things like musical, spatial, bodily, interpersonal, and naturalistic intelligence.

His theory isn’t hard science, more of an invitation to look beyond academic abilities and test results.

It reminds us that every child has their own way of understanding the world and their own kind of genius waiting to be nurtured.

When we notice those natural aptitudes, we can help children build confidence, motivation, and a sense of belonging, the real roots of learning.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on what you notice about your child’s natural strengths:

💬 Tell me, which of these best describes your child right now?
1️⃣ Curious about how things work
2️⃣ Loves stories, reading or words
3️⃣ Constantly moving, building or creating
4️⃣ Tunes into people’s moods easily
5️⃣ Loves nature/outdoors

Answer by putting the number (or mix!) in the comments ⬇️