Bio
Alia is a qualified and accredited psychotherapist who has spent a number of years working therapeutically with adults, adolescents and children. Alia began her academic career by earning a first-class honours degree in Psychology followed by a first-class honours MA in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy. Alia is currently finalising an MA in Child and Adolescent Integrative Psychotherapy. Alia has a strong commitment to continuous professional development in order to be able to provide clients with a wide range of therapeutic tools and approaches which best suit their needs, endeavour mirrored in her additional post-accredited qualifications, cartel study, and regular attendance to seminars, conferences and workshops.
As part of her broad clinical training, Alia has gained invaluable experience working as a psychotherapist in a variety of settings such as The Mater Misericordiae Hospital (Acute Mental Health Unit),the Tower Programme ( Probation Centre), the SAOL project (drug rehabilitation service for women and their children), Dublin Institute of Technology (Student Counselling Services), and Naas Child and Family Project (Kildare Youth Services) where she is currently working psychotherapeutically with children and their families. Alia has also worked as a volunteer in BodyWhys, the Eating Disorders Association of Ireland, where she has gain a wealth of experience in the field of eating disorders.
As part of her professional career, Alia has worked as a psychotherapist in Pieta House, offering counselling and psychotherapy to children, adolescents and adults who attend the service due to suicidal ideation and/or deliberate self-harm (DSH). Alia also works in the Naas Child and Family Project (Kildare Youth Services) where she works therapeutically with children, adolescents and their families, and also as a part of a clinical team delivering therapeutic group interventions to children and adolescents with a diagnosis of ASD and Asperger’s.
At the core of Alia’s practice is the belief in the exclusivity and uniqueness of each individual, hence the importance of tailoring each therapeutic intervention to suit the singularity of each client. Alia is a member of APPI (Association of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy of Ireland) and of I.C.P (Irish Council for Psychotherapy) whose ethical guidelines and standards guide her work throughout. She offers psychotherapy in both, English and Spanish language.
Alia’s areas of work include but are not limited to:
• Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy: self-esteem, bereavement, loss, Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), anxiety, attachment issues, depression. Deliberate Self Harm (DSH), and Suicidal Ideation.
• Adult Psychotherapy: anxiety, stress, depression, self-esteem, addictions, eating disorders, OCD, loss, bereavement, self-harm, phobias, psychosomatic disorders, trauma, DSH and suicidal ideation.
Full qualifications & Certifications
Qualifications:
• MA in Integrative Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy ( currently finalising it)
• MA in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy
• Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
• Practitioner’s Certificate in Child and Adolescent Counselling and Psychotherapy (Play Therapy, SPICC Model, Counselling Skills)
• Professional Certificate in CBT
• Certificate in Childhood anxiety
• Children First Training (HSE)
• ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training/ HSE)
• The Decider Skills training (Heads Up Kildare): which teaches 32 life skills used to empower children, young people and adults to cope effectively with distressing emotions and situations.
• NVR Training: Child to Parent Violence and Abuse and the Non-Violent Resistance Programme ( Lauster Counselling & Training/ Kildare Youth Services)
• Tele-play Therapy (Children’s Therapy Centre)
• Play Therapy Techniques (Children’s Therapy Centre)
• Regulation Tool Kit (Children’s Therapy Centre) which teaches developmentally supportive therapeutic tools based on creative interventions that foster and supports co-regulation and self-regulation.
• Stories for Life (Children’s Therapy Centre): the course, facilitated by Dr. Sue Jennings, teaches practitioners to a new system called ‘Story Building’ for creating and building stories that can be a part of therapy, education or parenting.
• Looking Through the Lens of Polyvagal Theory ( PCPSI) facilitated by Deb Dana.
Professional Membership:
• Association for Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy in Ireland (APPI)
• Irish Council for Psychotherapy (ICP)
