Meet the Team

Thomas McCann

Thomas is a member of the Irish Traveller community and a long time Traveller activist.  He is a  founder member of the Irish Traveller Movement where he was also employed as the Equality Worker and as a Director among many other roles.  He was active in the early days of Minceir Misli and was instrumental in campaigning for the Equal Status Act and the Traveller Accommodation Act.   Thomas holds a Diploma in Community Development from NUI Maynooth.   Now working in the field of psychotherapy, Thomas is a counsellor and holds a BSc in Psychotherapy and Masters in Counselling Supervision.  Thomas is currently a council member of Minceirs Whidden, a Traveller only organisation and is also a member of the National Traveller Monitoring Advisory Committee.  Thomas established and currently manages the Traveller Counselling Service which was launched in 2008.
 

Cairenn Bryson

Cairenn grew up in the heart of Dublin and headed to the countryside of Maynooth to complete  a B.A.  in history and theology in the 1980’s. She returned to Dublin and attended All Hallows College where she completed a  postgraduate in holistic development and pastoral leadership (1988-1999). Having spent some time abroad, on her return, Cairenn began working at the parish of the Traveller people (1993), where her interest in the area of mental health among Travellers developed.  Cairenn has completed a diploma in counselling and psychotherapy at the Tivoli institute (1996) and is presently working as a counsellor on the Traveller Counselling Service and as a pastoral worker at the parish of the Traveller people.

Annemarie Walsh

Annemarie Walsh holds an MSc in Systemic Psychotherapy from Clanwilliam Institute, and is in the final stages of working towards registration as a family therapist. She also has a Masters in Health Psychology. Annemarie currently provides systemic therapy for both teens and adults and their families in Clanwilliam Institute and also enjoys providing therapy to children and adolescents and their families in a school environment.

A Particular focus to Annemarie’s work, will be working with individuals and families that have been affected by interfamily conflict and violence

Aileen Tierney

Aileen Tierney has been  a family therapist for the past twenty years and has  also worked as a consultant  in disability services . She is currently  CEO  and Head of Training on the Masters in Psychotherapy course  at  Clanwilliam Institute,  a leading center in Family Therapy in Ireland.  She is an external examiner at the University of Glamorgen in Wales  and is also  a teacher/trainer and Clinical  Supervisor in Family  therapy.   Aileen has been working with the Traveler Counselling Service for the pastfour years and provides systemic therapy for individuals and their families.

Jimmy Judge

Jimmy has worked as a psychotherapist for 25 years.  He is particularly drawn to working with those suffering through addictions (both individuals and their families), trauma, abuse and those who find themselves isolated or disconnected from mainstream society.   Jimmy is delighted and priveliged to work with Thomas and the team in the Traveller Counselling Service.

Louise McDonagh

Louise is a member of the Traveller community and spent her early years between the UK and Ireland. Louise completed a BA in counselling and psychotherapy with Glyndwr University, Wales (2010-2014) and joined the team in 2014.  Louise is affiliated with a number of community based counselling projects within Dublin and Kildare, working primarily with individuals aged 16 and above. Louise’s aim is to provide a safe space based on the therapeutic models of ‘Person Centred Therapy’ and ‘Psychoanalytic Therapy’.

Margaret Doyle

Margaret, B.Sc. (Hons) M.I.A.C.P, has been working in Dublin as a counsellor since getting her degree from Middlesex University, England in 2011 and joined the Traveller Counselling Service in March 2015. Based in Tallaght and working in conjunction with Tallaght Travellers Community Development Project, a safe space has been provided for anyone from the Travelling community who would like to talk in confidence and safety. Working from a person-centred perspective she feels that clients respond well to this approach and hopes to see this service continue and grow. Margaret also works voluntarily in H.O.P.E –a suicide prevention and drop-in centre in Tallaght, an area of particular interest to her.

Beatrice Hughes

Beatrice is our administrator who works in the office on a part time basis.  She looks after all aspects of administration and also looks after funding applications.  Beatrice completed an MA in Gender, Women and Equality in UCD and is keen to use her administrative skills in a way that she feels supports her ideals of equality.