About Claire Russell Therapy: Counselling, Psychotherapy, Addictions, OCD, Hypnotherapy, RTT & Registered Nutritionist Services in Ireland

You may feel stuck in cycles that no longer make sense. Intrusive thoughts that will not switch off. Anxiety that dictates your day. Compulsions, habits or addictions you promised yourself you would stop. Food and eating patterns that feel out of control. Physical symptoms that flare whenever stress rises. Relationships that feel strained, distant or unsafe.

I am Claire Russell MSc, BSc, DipNT, a Counsellor and Psychotherapist, Clinical Medical Hypnotherapist, Clinical Hypnotherapist, Advanced Rapid Transformational Therapist (RTT) and Qualified Registered Nutritionist, with over 20 years of clinical experience supporting adults, teenagers and children across Ireland, the UK and Europe.

I provide Counselling, Psychotherapy, Couples and Marriage Counselling, Clinical Medical Hypnotherapy, Clinical Hypnotherapy, RTT, Hypnotherapy for OCD and Addictions, and Registered Nutritionist services, available ONLINE nationwide and in person in Adare, Newcastle West, Limerick, Abbeyfeale, Charleville, Midleton, Youghal, East Cork, Cork, Dublin and Dungarvan.

I specialise in anxiety disorders, Addictions, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Trauma and Complex Trauma, ADHD and other Neurodivergent presentations, Weight Loss, Food and Eating issues, Gut and Digestive problems, Autoimmune and Inflammatory conditions, Hormonal and Fertility concerns, Chronic Stress, Burnout, Chronic Pain, Fatigue, Sleep difficulties, Couples and Relationship problems, Betrayal, Grief, Separation and Loss.

My work integrates the most up to date science and evidence, Neuroscience, the gut brain axis, psychotherapy, hypnotherapy and nutrition to support steady, realistic change in both mind and body.

 WHO I AM & HOW I WORK

For more than two decades I have worked full time with adults, teens and children who feel overwhelmed, exhausted or frightened by their own thoughts, emotions, behaviours, health issues or physical symptoms. Many have already tried medication, short term counselling, diet plans or self help approaches, yet still feel something deeper is driving what they are experiencing.

My approach is integrative and evidence informed. I do not use one fixed method for everyone. Instead, I draw from compatible approaches and tailor the work to your history, nervous system, health, relationships and current life pressures.

Depending on your needs, our work may include counselling and psychotherapy, clinical medical hypnotherapy, RTT, and registered nutritionist support, informed by neuroscience and the gut brain axis. This allows us to work with both conscious patterns and subconscious drivers, while also addressing physical contributors such as digestion, blood sugar balance, low mood, low energy, inflammation, autoimmune issues and symptoms, fertility issues, hormones and sleep.

I work with adults, teenagers and children. Where helpful, I also support parents, partners and caregivers, so the wider environment becomes more understanding rather than unintentionally reinforcing distress.

Sessions are calm, focused, practical and grounded. We focus on what will genuinely help you in real life, at a pace and speed that feels manageable and respectful.

WHO I HELP

Many people I work with live with more than one difficulty at the same time. Some have diagnoses, others do not, but all are dealing with real distress that deserves informed, careful support and guidance to navigate and resolve their issues.

I regularly work with people experiencing:

• Anxiety disorders, including generalised anxiety, panic attacks, social anxiety and health anxiety

• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), including intrusive thoughts, checking, reassurance seeking, contamination fears, scrupulosity, mental compulsions and rumination

• Depression and persistent low mood, emotional numbness and loss of motivation

• ADHD and other neurodivergent presentations, including emotional dysregulation, overwhelm, masking, rejection sensitivity and executive functioning difficulties

• Autism spectrum related stress, shutdowns, sensory overload and social exhaustion

• Trauma and complex trauma (C-PTSD), including developmental trauma, medical trauma, bullying and coercive relationships

• All Addictions, including alcohol, drugs including cocaine addiction, weed addiction, substance abuse, prescription medication misuse, vaping, smoking, gambling, pornography, sex, gaming and compulsive behaviours

• Food and eating issues, including emotional eating, binge eating, food addiction, sugar addiction, chaotic eating patterns, restriction cycles and fear of food

• Weight and metabolic health difficulties, including insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and fatty liver

• Gut and digestive conditions such as IBS, reflux, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, SIBO, H. pylori and diverticulitis

• Autoimmune and inflammatory conditions including coeliac disease, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis

• Hormonal and reproductive issues including PMS, PMDD, PCOS, perimenopause, menopause and fertility related stress, symptoms and issues

• Chronic pain and fatigue, including fibromyalgia type symptoms and medically unexplained pain

• Chronic fatigue and low energy, including CFS, ME..

• Sleep problems, including difficulty falling or staying asleep, insomnia and non restorative sleep

• Skin conditions such as acne, rosacea and eczema where stress, inflammation, hormones and digestion interact

• Relationship, marraige counselling and couples difficulties including communication breakdown, conflict and emotional distance

• Betrayal and relational injury, including family betrayal, sibling betrayal, partner or spouse betrayal and employer betrayal

• Grief, loss and bereavement, including separation and complex grief

Many clients arrive feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, ashamed or confused about their symptoms. A core part of the work is helping you understand why these patterns and issues developed, so change becomes possible gently and steadily rather than forced. Achieving lasting change.

INTEGRATED  MIND BODY  APPROACH

Your brain, nervous system, gut, hormones and immune system are in constant communication. This is often described as the gut brain axis, the two way system linking digestion and mental health.

For many people, anxiety, OCD, low mood, low energy, pain, fatigue or brain fog are influenced not only by thoughts and experiences, but also by digestion, blood sugar instability, inflammation, sleep disruption and long term stress or burnout.

In our work together, we may explore how earlier experiences shaped your nervous system, how current beliefs and behaviours maintain distress, and how physical factors such as nutrition, gut health and hormones may be amplifying symptoms.

If you are already under the care of your GP or consultant, our work can sit alongside medical treatment, or separately. With your consent, if you choose to, I can liaise with other professionals so your care is coordinated rather than fragmented.

For some conditions, medication is an important part of treatment. My role is to support you around this, particularly with emotional regulation, nutrition, sleep, boundaries and daily functioning.

SERVICES YOU CAN ACCESS

Counselling and Psychotherapy

Counselling and Psychotherapy provide a confidential, steady space to explore thoughts, emotions, behaviours and life experiences. This work is particularly effective for OCD, anxiety disorders, depression, trauma, ADHD related emotional difficulties, addictions and eating distress.

Couples and Marriage Counselling

Couples and Marriage Counselling supports communication, trust and emotional connection, particularly following conflict, betrayal, life transitions or long standing stress within the relationship.

Clinical Medical Hypnotherapy and Clinical Hypnotherapy

Clinical hypnotherapy works with focused attention to address subconscious patterns. It may support work with OCD, addictions, compulsive behaviours, trauma responses, phobias, food and sugar addiction, pain and gut related symptoms. You remain aware and in control at all times.

Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT)  and Advanced RTT Qualified in 2018

RTT is a structured, intensive approach combining hypnotherapy, NLP, CBT and cognitive work. It can be helpful where a specific belief, fear or repeating pattern has not shifted through other approaches.

Registered Nutritionist Services

As a Registered Nutritionist, I assess nutrition, digestion and metabolic health in the context of mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. This is especially relevant for inflammatory conditions, mental health issues, depression, low mood, low energy, fertility issues, food and eating issues, addictions, ADHD, anxiety, OCD, gut disorders, digestion issues, skin conditions, hormonal concerns and autoimmune conditions.

WHERE YOU CAN SEE ME

ONLINE
Secure ONLINE appointments are available nationwide across Ireland and for Irish clients living abroad. I work with also all nationalities worldwide including the UK, Europe, UAE, Australia (a lot!) and USA.

In person
Appointments are available in our rooms and therapy clinics in :

Adare
Newcastle West
Limerick
Abbeyfeale
Charleville
Midleton
Youghal and East Cork
Cork
Dublin
Dungarvan

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do you work specifically with OCD?

Yes. I work with people experiencing Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, including intrusive thoughts, compulsions, reassurance seeking, rumination and avoidance. Treatment may include counselling, ERP, structured therapeutic work, hypnotherapy where appropriate, and nutrition support.  Current thought is that the gold standard for treating Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is  now believed to be Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), this is a form of specialised Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Do you work with all addictions?

Yes. I work with all addictions, including alcohol, drug addiction, including cocaine addiction, weed addiction, substance abuse, prescription medication misuse, vaping, smoking, gambling, pornography, sex addiction, phone addiction, technology addiction and compulsive eating. Where specialist addiction services are required, I will always advise accordingly.

Can you help with sugar addictions, food and eating issues without a diagnosis?

Yes. Many people experience emotional eating, binge patterns, sugar addiction or disordered eating without a formal diagnosis. We can work with both the psychological and nutritional aspects together.

Do you work with people who are taking medication?

Yes. Many clients take prescribed medication. Our work supports, rather than replaces, medical care and can run alongside GP or consultant treatment.

Do you work with children and teenagers?

Yes. I work with children and teenagers, and involve parents or guardians appropriately and ethically

Do you take new clients and accept new appointments?

Yes.  Please contact me directly on 087 616 6638 to discuss your needs or send me a text message with your name and details and I will call you back