Natural textures meeting — smooth stone and rough linen

Tina Earley

Humanistic & Integrative Psychotherapist

About Me

Where Creativity
Meets Care

Hi there. I'm Tina, a Psychotherapist and Play Therapist. My work with children and families spans over 21 years, most of it in frontline and leadership roles in social work, before training as a psychotherapist and play therapist. That foundation shapes everything about how I practise today.

I began in family support in 2005, working with children and families in inner-city Dublin and other economically disadvantaged communities. Over the following two decades, I worked extensively in social work, including many years in Children in Care services with Tusla, alongside child protection and adult mental health work in Ireland and abroad. That experience gave me a ground-level understanding of trauma, attachment, and the real pressures families face, not from theory, but from sitting alongside people going through it.

I now bring that understanding into my private practice in Athlone, offering psychotherapy and play therapy to children, adolescents, and adults, and working at each person's own pace.

I'm also a mom to two wonderful human beings, so I understand parenting from both sides of the room, as a professional and as a parent myself. For me, this work is a privilege: sitting with people in their vulnerability, and supporting them toward greater confidence and connection.

If you're considering therapy for yourself, your child, or your family, I hope to offer a space where you feel supported, understood, and empowered.

Common Areas

Areas
Supported

AnxietyLow moodGrief and lossParental separationIdentity developmentFoster care and adoptionAttachment and relational traumaBehaviour that challengesSchool-related stressNeurodiversity-informed supportBullying and peer issuesSleep and somatic difficultiesSelf-harming behavioursTeam consultation for trauma-informed care

Services

Ways I Can Support You

For Individuals

Psychotherapy

A mental health service for children, adolescents, and adults with complex emotional needs. Designed to facilitate personal growth, alleviate distress, and resolve psychological difficulties, including disrupted attachments, developmental trauma, neglect, and abuse. Tailored to each person's unique needs, pace and strengths.

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For Children

Play Therapy

A developmentally sensitive therapeutic practice using play, creative arts and body-based approaches to support emotional modulation, trauma resolution, and social integration. Work is guided by the needs and pace of each client, with resources shared to support the young person and the adults in their life.

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For Families

Parent Support & Resource Sessions

Practical tools, reflective space, and compassionate guidance to support your child's emotional world. Grounded in child development and a neurodevelopmental approach, these sessions help parents and carers better understand their child's needs, while equipping and supporting the adults who hold children through some of the most challenging and difficult moments of their lives.

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For Organisations

Trauma-Informed Care Training & Consultation

Bespoke training and ongoing consultation for parents, schools, organisations, and residential social care settings, supporting teams to embed trauma-informed practice in meaningful and sustainable ways. Some of the training topics I offer include:

An Introduction to Trauma-Informed Care in Residential Social Care Settings
Managing and Working with Fear in Residential Settings
The Importance of Trust and Connection in Residential Care
Supporting Little People with Big Feelings
Integrating Creative Mindfulness in Residential Settings
Play-Based Approaches for Connection and Emotional Support in Social Care and Social Work
Professional Boundaries in Practice
Transitions and Endings in Residential and Foster Care Placements

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For Families

Filial Therapy

A structured, evidence-based approach that empowers parents and carers to become therapeutic agents in their child's life. Through guided training and ongoing support, parents learn to conduct special child-centred play sessions with their own child, deepening attachment, trust, and emotional connection. Particularly supportive for families navigating relational difficulties, attachment disruption, and the lasting effects of early adversity, and especially beneficial for foster children and foster families.

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My Approach

How I Work

RelationalCreativeAttachment-FocusedTrauma-InformedSystemicChild-Centred

I offer a warm, child-centred space where children, adolescents, and adults can feel safe and understood.

I work as a Humanistic and Integrative therapist, drawing on a range of therapeutic approaches rather than fitting each person into one model. My work is relational, creative, attachment-focused, and trauma-informed: I help clients make sense of difficult experiences, build emotional resilience, and move toward healing at a pace that feels safe for them.

With children, I use play, creativity, and conversation to help them express feelings, process experiences, and build confidence. I also work systemically, considering the wider relationships and environments that shape a person's experience, family, school, and social context. Where appropriate, I work collaboratively with parents, carers, and other professionals to provide joined-up support.

My practice is grounded in strong ethical values, clear boundaries, and respect for each person's unique story. Above all, I aim to walk alongside each client with care, curiosity, and compassion.

Qualifications

A Foundation of Expertise

Masters Degree

Humanistic & Integrative Psychotherapy

Masters Degree

Social Work

Postgraduate Diploma

Creative Play Therapy

Bachelors Degree

Social Science

Registration & Ethical Practice

Registered
& Accountable

I am registered with the Irish Association for Play Therapy & Psychotherapy (IAPTP) and with CORU, Ireland's statutory regulator for health and social care professionals. I am also fully insured for professional practice with the Psychological Protection Society. These registrations and protections mean I practise to recognised professional, ethical, and safeguarding standards, and that I'm accountable to an external regulatory body, giving clients added confidence and protection when choosing a therapist.

Resources

Guides & Downloads

Free, printable resources on trauma-informed care and play therapy, created to support parents, carers, and professionals in their work with children and young people.

PDF Guide

Understanding Trauma-Informed Care

A practical introduction to the principles of trauma-informed practice for parents, carers, and professionals supporting children and young people.

Download

PDF Guide

An Introduction to Play Therapy

An overview of how play and creative arts support emotional regulation, trauma resolution, and connection in children, and what to expect from sessions.

Download

PDF Guide