About Us

DMC stands for Deep Meaningful Conversation and that’s exactly what we are offering in our clinic. Something that is often spoken about at the end of the first counselling session is how it wasn’t what was expected, or it wasn’t has hard as they thought it would be. There is a common misconception that counselling and psychotherapy is very clinical and only for those who have severe mental health concerns but in reality counselling and psychotherapy is for everyone and it isn’t much different to the deep and meaningful conversations you have with friends and family. Some of these differences are that we are qualified and trained to not only really listen but to help support you to find understanding and tools to cope with what is causing you distress in your life. The conversation is solely about you and it is in a non-judgemental, confidential and unbiased space. Meet the team below.

The DMC Clinic, originally Solas Counselling Services, was established in November 2017 and provides mental health support to children, teenagers and adults. The DMC Clinic is based in the heart of Wexford Town in an easily accessible and private setting. It is located on the 1st floor of 48 North Main Street in The Bullring and offers a varied range of different mental health services. All mental health professionals attend regular workshops and training to continue to add to their areas of expertise. To ensure best practice and duty of care for all clients all mental health professionals abide by the Code of Ethics under their accredited body guidelines and when required attend regular supervision with a qualified and accredited Supervisor.  All our qualifications are also QQI certified.

If you have any other enquiries or you would like to book an appointment go to our Contact and Location page>>

Meet the Team

Ruth Swaby

I am the owner of The DMC Clinic and I am an accredited Counsellor and Psychotherapist with the Association of Professional Counsellors & Psychotherapists (APCP). I have a BA Degree in (Hons) Psychology with Waterford Institute of Technology, a MA Masters in Counselling and Psychotherapy with Irish College of Humanities & Applied Sciences (ICHAS) and a Professional Certificate in Child and Adolescent Counselling and Psychotherapy with Institute of Integrated Counselling & Psychotherapy (IICP). I have also trained with Elista Education and I am an Animal Assisted Psychotherapist.

I really enjoy what I do, and I feel privileged to be able to witness so many strong and courageous people working on their mental health. We all need a little extra support at some point in our lives, so I do my best to offer a safe and non-judgemental space to give this support.

Some of the additional trainings I have completed have been in suicide prevention, trauma, cognitive behavioural therapy, mindfulness, sexual health, couples therapy, sand tray and art therapy. My more recent trainings have been in animal assisted therapy and emotional eating, binge eating and disordered eating.

Caroline Bannister

I am a fully accredited Counsellor and I have a BA Hons Degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy with Irish College of Humanitites & Applied Sciences (ICHAS) and I have also completed a Professional Certificate in Child and Adolescent Counselling and Psychotherapy with Institute of Integrated Counselling & Psychotherapy (IICP). I am accredited with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the Association of Professional Counsellors & Psychotherapists (APCP)

I also have a Professional Certificate in Couples Counselling with The Cherished Family Project. Some of the other certificates I have received are in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), suicide prevention, inner child work, understanding and recognising sexual addiction, vicarious trauma, transgender awareness, trauma informed care for adolescents, mindfulness, sand tray, and creative art.

I use an integrated approach in counselling to deal with issues we can encounter throughout our life. I find no approach suits everyone so I will combine tools and techniques for each client on an individual basis. I also use different forms of art therapy to help clients to express themselves when a client is happy to do this.

I provide clients the space to be heard in a non-judgemental way. I enjoy watching clients grow and encouraging them to recognise their own potential. Change can be a challenging process and sometimes it requires support along the way. This is what I aim to provide clients with.

Siofra Hall

I’ve also completed training and researched trauma, domestic violence, suicide preventions, creative arts approach, distressed tolerance skills for children and adolescence, mindfulness, dialectical behavioural therapy DBT, non-violent resistance training for parents and children, solution focused therapy and eco psychotherapy.

Eva Murphy

Karla Bell

Lauren Hall

I am a fully qualified Psychotherapist. I have Master of Arts (MA) in Counselling & Psychotherapy at the Irish College of Humanities and Applied Science (ICHAS). I completed my Bachelors of Social Science with Honours at Rhodes University. I am a member of  the  Association of Professional Counsellors & Psychotherapists (APCP).

I have also completed a diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy at City College in Dublin. I have a background in crisis counselling as well as suicide prevention. Some of my other certificates include training in grief & bereavement, self-harm prevention, personal development, mindfulness and self-care.

My approach is Humanistic Integrative, which means we work collaboratively and with flexibility to find the approach that works best for you. I aim to meet my clients where they are emotionally and take it one step at a time. I am non-judgemental, friendly and open. It is my passion and joy to work alongside my clients everyday and see their journey unfold.

Ailbhe O’ Neill

I am a qualified counsellor and hold a BA (Hons) Level 8 in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy with the Institute of Integrated Counsellors and Psychotherapists (IICP). I also hold a BA Level 7 in Applied Social Studies in Social Care from Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT). As a fully accredited Member of the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP), I abide by their code of ethics. As an Associate Lecturer with IICP college, I teach across a range of modules including an Introduction to Counselling Skills, and an Introduction to Psychotherapeutic Studies & Reflexive Practice, as well as assisting on the delivery of modules such as Sexuality and Practice Development.

In addition to my core qualification, I have also completed training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Practitioner Training, safeTALK and suicide prevention, Children First training, and awareness training in working with gender, sexual and relationship diverse clients. I hold a Certificate in Working Online with Adolescent Clients, as well as Telemental Health and Online Assessments.

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I am a Person Centred therapist first and foremost, and I use an integrative approach when working with clients. I tend to focus on a client’s own strengths and inner resources to help them manage whatever challenges they might find themselves facing. A safe space is offered to my clients, allowing them to explore their thoughts and feelings in a warm, empathic and non-judgemental setting.

Don Hegarty

I am a qualified Counsellor accredited with the Association of Professional Counsellors and Psychotherapists in Ireland (APCP).  I hold a level 9 Higher Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy from the Irish College of Humanities and Applied Science (ICHAS). I have completed other training such as Trauma Informed Care, Addiction and Self-Compassion. I am also a registered Mental Health Nurse and studied for a BSc in nursing with the South East Technological university (SETU).

I believe that the relationship between a Counsellor and Client is very important. It is important to me to provide a non judgmental and safe space so that people can deal with issues at a pace that they are comfortable with. I work with people with life issues such as trauma, grief, relationship problems, depression, anxiety and addiction.

I base my counselling on a Person Centred and collaborative approach. I do believe that we all have individual needs when we come to counselling and will use other approaches such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to suit the person and the issue.