Olive also brings specialist expertise in Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), CBT-E for eating difficulties and EMDR for trauma.  Olive is currently completing a Perinatal Mental Health Specialist training.  She has a strong academic and clinical background—including many years spent in student mental health services, research, and supervision—Olive integrates scientific insight with a human-first approach. At Evidence-Based Therapy Centre, Olive provides one-to-one psychotherapy, perinatal support, and clinical supervision, offering a space of calm, safety, and curiosity for people navigating anxiety, trauma, identity issues, grief, or change.

Clinical Focus & Experience

Olive supports adults and young adults across a wide range of issues including:

Perinatal Mental Health

Olive O' Grady leads the centre’s Perinatal Therapy Service alongside specialist physiotherapist Sylvia Farrell. She works with individuals and couples during pregnancy, postnatally, and through reproductive challenges, providing a space for recovery after traumatic births, loss, and difficult pregnancies.

Anxiety, Depression, Self-Criticism, Shame & Compassion Fatigue
Olive has undertaken advanced training in Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), a powerful and evidence-based approach for people experiencing patterns of shame, self-criticism or emotional regulation difficulties. Her work supports the development of emotional resilience, soothing and self-compassion.

Trauma & Loss
Olive has significant experience working with individuals who have experienced early attachment trauma, bereavement, or complex grief. Her gentle, integrative approach allows clients to process painful memories and reconnect with safety, strength and meaning.  Olive has recently trained in EMDR for trauma related mental health issues.

Eating Difficulties
Olive has completed a specialist training in CBT-E at the University of Oxford, Olive supports individuals who are struggling with body image, restrictive eating, or disordered relationships with food. Her approach is sensitive, structured, and non-judgemental.

Professional Background & Training

Olive holds a Master’s Degree in Integrative Psychotherapy from the University of Limerick and a Diploma in Counselling Supervision from IICP. She completed her BA in Humanities (Psychological Studies & Sociology) at NUI Galway in 2008, with early academic work focused on adolescent mental health and risky behaviours.

Her professional experience includes:

• Over 10 years in Private Practice, supporting individuals, families, and parents with a wide range of emotional and mental health concerns.
• Seven years at The Crescent in Salthill, and since 2019, at Evidence-Based Therapy Centre, Galway.
• NUIG Student Counselling Service (2011–2018), working extensively with young adults navigating anxiety, low mood, identity, and adjustment issues.
• Programme Manager for YOULEAD and PSYCHE (2018–2021), working on youth mental health research and intervention development with Professor Gary Donohoe and the School of Psychology at NUIG.

Approach to Therapy

Olive is an integrative therapist, meaning she draws from a wide range of psychological theories and techniques to meet each client’s unique needs. Her work is tailored, flexible, and collaborative.

Approaches used include:

• Humanistic Therapy – providing a safe, non-judgemental space for clients to feel heard, seen and valued.
• Existential Therapy – exploring how clients relate to life’s deeper questions, choices, and responsibilities.
• Gestalt Therapy – building awareness of thoughts and emotions in the “here and now.”
• Psychodynamic Therapy – examining early life experiences and unconscious processes that may affect current relationships or wellbeing.
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT E) – identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and supporting behaviour change with disordered eating.
• Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) – helping clients move from self-criticism toward warmth, safety and self-compassion.
• EMDR – Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an effective and evidence-based therapy primarily used to treat trauma, anxiety and other related conditions
• Perinatal Mental Health Specialist – supporting parents through the matresence period – OCD, Intrusive thoughts, Anxiety, Anger, Depression, Adjustment Disorder, Bi-Polar and Psychosis.

Sessions are grounded in the therapeutic relationship, with an emphasis on emotional safety, clarity, and co-creating goals for healing and growth.

Specialist Training & Supervision

Olive continues to engage in ongoing training and supervision to deepen her practice. Highlights include:

• Perinatal Mental Health Specialist – with the Perinatal Mental Health Institute Ireland.
• EMDR training completed with EMDR Ireland.
• Introductory and Advanced CFT Training with Professor Paul Gilbert and Dr. Michelle Cree.
• CFT Group Therapy Skills with Kate Lucre.
• CFT for Post Natal Depression
• Specialist CBT-E (Enhanced CBT for Eating Disorders) – current training through the University of Oxford.
• A Matter of Death and Life –  Existential workshop with Irvin Yalom.
• An Introduction to Psychoanalysis – with the Freud Lacan Institute Ireland.
• Supervision and group supervision

She receives regular clinical supervision to support her use of these approaches safely and effectively.

Supervision

Olive also provides supervision to trainee and accredited therapists. Her supervision is integrative in orientation, collaborative, reflective, and aimed at supporting professional development, confidence, and ethical practice.

Memberships & Accreditation

• Accredited Member of the Irish Association of Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy (IAHIP) since 2011.

Appointments

Olive O' Grady is available for appointments Monday to Thursday at the Evidence-Based Therapy Centre.

To book an appointment or request a consultation through our assessment clinic, please contact us at 091-727777 or reach out via our contact page.