Siana McGarvey

I work day times - 9am-4pm

Please note: this profile is for creative therapy for adults (in person). If you are interested in therapy for young people or clinical supervision please see other listings under my name. 

Hello and thank you for viewing my profile. 

My core therapy training was in person-centred counselling (MA, Durham Uni, 2001). I then spent 15 years working in 4 of the largest counselling agencies in Northern Ireland, before setting up in private practice in 2016. My agency work afforded me the privilege of counselling people of all ages who represented a wide range of gender, sexual, cultural and spiritual identities.

Some examples of why people come to see me include relationship or family difficulties, trauma (particularly related to childhood experiences), identity issues (often related to neurodivergence and / or gender and sexual identity), anxiety, feeling low or depressed, life changes and transitions, low self worth.

I aim to connect in an authentic and attuned way, on the basis of mutual respect and humility. I am a fellow human being first and foremost and I tend to be seen to have a "down to earth" approach as a therapist.  I work towards equality within the therapeutic relationship and I commit to an ongoing personal process of deconstructing and unlearning my own internalised privilege, ableism and other "isms" which contribute to psychological ill health and have been intertwined with psychotherapy as an institution.

I have undertaken specialist training related to trauma and relational neuroscience, as well as Jungian Sandplay and Internal Family Systems for those who prefer a creative approach.

I am fully aligned with the neurodiversity paradigm, firmly rejecting the medicalised view of autism and other neurodivergence as disordered. I welcome and prize members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

My office is in Carrickfergus, 12 miles along the coast from Belfast in Northern Ireland. 

Jungian Sandplay

Jungian sandplay can be particularly helpful if you are feeling stuck or as if you have lost direction in life. You may struggle to find words and need to work at a level which is simply unreachable verbally, for example because it stems from traumatic or very early life experiences.

Sandplay is without doubt the modality within which I have seen the deepest healing, both in myself and people I have worked with. It is not "play" in the sense we sometimes understand it as being "for children", but rather "play" in the sense of the "thinking" brain being suspended. This allows us to enter into the brain areas where memories, emotions, pain and trauma are stored and where healing is possible.

The process involves working symbolically, thereby accessing both conscious and unconscious information in the interests of deepening your relationship to yourself and your own natural resources and capacities.

There is lots more information on my website and I'm always happy to discuss further if you are curious! I'm a registered Sandplay Therapist with AST (Association of Sandplay Therapists).

Internal Family Systems Therapy

"A part of me thinks ... another part of me wonders ..." If this is you and you're open to the idea of working with your "parts" IFS might be a good fit.

IFS is particularly effective for developmental (childhood) and complex trauma. It is based on the idea that aspects of ourselves get "stuck", carry more pain or seem to get us into more trouble. There may be ones who we might describe as “out of control” or “triggered” by an apparently minor situation. Or perhaps there are some who behave in ways which we feel ashamed of. Some can literally shut us down, others think “crazy” things (according to other parts!) And some can become terribly hurt and distressed yet never find relief.

I have completed official training programmes via the Internal Family Systems Institute, currently the only organisation which can validate IFS courses.  

When you first get in touch with me I will give you the option of booking a free call (usually online). This typically takes 20 mins. It gives an opportunity for initial introductions and allows you to ask any questions you may have. Some people opt to do this via email prior to the first session.

First session: I will invite you to share how things are now as well as relevant background and history. We will likely discuss who helps and supports you, including any involvement you have with other services. We will probably also talk about your day to day well-being, such as your mood, sleeping, eating patterns and any risk or self harm. Very importantly, we will explore your hopes for the therapy and the changes you would like to see. I'm using words such as "talk" here but actually it is possible to use creative means even in the first session so, if talking and using words feels tricky, I hear you and we can find a way!

We’ll go at a comfortable pace and the format is interactive (not question and answer and no clipboards or questionnaires!) This will help us see how we get along and let you experience how it feels to begin to open up about yourself. The relational aspect is more important than getting through all the information and throughout the conversation you choose how much you say. There will be no pressure to speak about anything you don’t want to or to go into a lot of detail. The session lasts 50 minutes.

You don't have to make any quick decisions after our first session. I ask you to take your time to consider what it was like for you and how you’d like to proceed. You will have a sense from our time together whether you feel I am someone you could work with and I will also be honest with you if I believe there is another therapist or service which would be more appropriate for you at this time.

I work day times - 9am-4pm

Please note: this profile is about therapy for young people (in person). If you are interested in creative therapy for adults, online therapy or clinical supervision please see other listings under my name.

Hello and thank-you for viewing my profile.

I appreciate that finding appropriate psychological support for a young person can feel like a bit of a maze.  I have worked extensively with young people aged 11-25 since 2002 in a wide range of settings - in schools, community centres, alternative education settings and for specialist youth counselling organisations.

In my work with young people I combine elements of various therapies to support each person’s individual needs. My initial training (MA, Durham 2000-01) was largely person-centred in terms of its approach and I also have a post qualifying Diploma in counselling children and young people. I am a registered Jungian Sandplay Therapist and an Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapist. I’m trained in working with the nervous system and in safe trauma-informed practice.  

I have had the privilege of counselling young people representing a variety of cultural, religious and spiritual heritages / identities. I welcome and prize neurodivergent young people and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. 

​If you are considering contacting me about setting up an appointment for a young person, it is important to note that I will always meet with them prior to beginning any work. This is to ensure they understand what counselling is and to offer them the opportunity to make an informed decision for themselves about whether they wish to engage.

Young people under the age of 16 who contact me of their own accord need to involve a parent or appropriate adult before our first meeting. 

Counselling sessions with young people are confidential with specific exceptions relating to safety and managing risk. These exceptions and procedures for sharing of information are discussed with the young person and relevant adults at the beginning. 

Information for young people

Before we do any work together we would plan a time so you can meet me, see where I work and ask any questions you may have about what counselling might be like.

My office is a log cabin at the end of my driveway at home. As well as the usual chairs you would expect I also have lots of creative resources and books. People of all ages use these sometimes but you always get to choose for yourself whether you want to or not. A lot of the time young people just talk.

If you decide to work with me, we would focus on the things that feel most important to you to work on.  I won't tell you what to do and I won’t pretend to be an “expert”!  I listen carefully and I try to understand things from your point of view.  Basically, I offer you the opportunity to talk to someone outside of your normal life about whatever feels ok for you to talk about.

The theory with counselling is that through having this space on a regular basis to talk to someone who is tuned in, accepting and understanding of you, things will gradually begin to change. This includes how you feel about yourself, how you deal with your relationships, your moods, behaviour, your ability to cope, and lots more.

Sometimes people don’t like to talk, find it too difficult or feel concerned that they won’t know what to say for a whole session. I understand this as every time I meet with someone new that’s a whole new relationship and we work together to find a way to communicate.  Lots of young - and not so young! - people have told me that sometimes just getting yourself into the counselling room is the hardest thing and after that we find our way through. 

Depending on your age, sometimes your parent or carer may come in at the beginning or the end of the very first appointments. However, you would attend your regular ongoing appointments on your own. 

At the beginning we explore whether counselling with me feels like a good idea at this point in time.   I often begin very gradually with young people and the process is informal.  It might involve an online call, phone call and / or short meeting.   

If the young person is happy to proceed we begin to have a conversation about their current circumstances as well as relevant background and history.  This is not a list of questions and they are under no pressure to share anything they don't want to talk about.  The focus is always on building the relationship and helping the young person to feel more secure and comfortable.  Most importantly, we talk about the young person’s hopes for the therapy and the changes they would like to see.

Once this initial process is complete, we decide whether to proceed into regular sessions.  The young person has the final say, even if I think it might be a good idea!  And if I feel there is someone else who might be better able to support them I will be open about this too.

If you are interested in individual and in person supervision please see the other listing under my name.

At its heart, my own therapy practice is based on a person-centred foundation. I trained in 2000-01 at Durham University and then worked for 15 years in various agencies before setting up in private practice. I am a Registered Jungian Sandplay Therapist (AST) and I have trained in Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFSI).

My supervision training was with Gestalt Centre Belfast in 2014-16. It was an intensive and experiential supervision training programme in a small group of 6 students.

I continue to invest in consultation for my supervision practice and I regularly participate in related CPD. In July 2023 I hope to begin my second year training with Bonnie Badenoch, focusing on consultation through the lens of relational neuroscience.

I offer online supervision groups specifically for Autistic therapists or for therapists working with autistic and otherwise neurodivergent people.

I am autistic myself and I am privileged to have developed robust neurodiversity-affirming professional networks.  Unfortunately, however, the wider therapy world remains largely dominated by the medicalised view of autism as pathology.    Needless to say, this has a profoundly negative impact on autistic therapists and clients alike.  

My motivation for creating these groups is to provide safe and affirmative spaces for autistic people to be truly seen, welcomed and valued.  

The therapists who join the groups tend to have one or more other supervision arrangements in place, and this is an additional or more specialised space.  

There are 2-4 people in each group and I ask that you commit for a minimum of 6 months. Groups meet for 1.5-2 hours monthly or bimonthly and the fee is £40 per session. The length of the session depends on the number of participants.

If you are interested in joining a supervision group I will meet with you individually first.  This gives us the opportunity to discuss what you are looking for and about any accommodations you might need.  This preliminary meeting allows you to ask any questions you might have and it helps me to be able to match you to a group with other therapists with similar interests and foci.  

I offer supervision on a Wednesday each week.

Are you looking for a supervision experience which is a little bit different? Maybe you have a niche you are developing, a particular client group you want to learn more about, maybe you are training in one of the approaches I use ... or maybe you are simply curious and want to see what would emerge if you allowed yourself to step outside the norm?

I work in a very relational way, utilising our supervision relationship to facilitate and shed light on the therapeutic processes you are engaged in. I bring lenses of Internal Family Systems and relational neuroscience to our work and I incorporate creative approaches.

At its heart, my own therapy practice is based on a person-centred foundation. I trained in 2000-01 at Durham University and then worked for 15 years in various agencies before setting up in private practice. I am a Registered Jungian Sandplay Therapist (AST) and I have trained in Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFSI).

Monthly supervision

I work on a one to one basis with therapists and practitioners seeking a primary supervisor for their work This is suitable for students, therapists working in agencies and those in private practice.

My supervision training was with Gestalt Centre Belfast in 2014-16. It was an intensive and experiential supervision training programme in a small group of 6 students.

I continue to invest in consultation for my supervision practice and I regularly participate in related CPD. In July 2023 I hope to begin my second year training with Bonnie Badenoch, focusing on consultation through the lens of relational neuroscience.

Ad hoc Consultation

I offer "one of" sessions for therapists and practitioners seeking additional consultation from time to time. For example, this might be in relation to some more specialised work you are doing with a small number of clients. Most commonly, this would relate to work with autistic and otherwise neurodivergent people, work with young people or sandplay / sandtray work.

Group Supervision

I offer online group supervision for therapists and practitioners. These are formed around specific interests or specialisms, for example working with young people, working with autistic / otherwise neurodivergent people.

There are 2-4 people in each group and I ask that you commit for a minimum of 6 months. Groups meet for 1.5-2 hours monthly or bimonthly and the fee is £40 per session. The length of the session depends on the number of participants.

I offer a free preliminary session to help us work out whether the way I work is a good "fit" for your supervision / consultation needs.