Hi, my name is Alan Horne. I am a highly experienced, fully-accredited therapist with the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP). I believe that the aim of counselling is to provide a safe and confidential environment where the client has an opportunity to work towards living a more satisfactory and productive life. Counselling affords clients a unique opportunity to have a deeper understanding of what is going on in their lives. It can help build confidence and personal development where clients can explore and help bring about a new acceptance of experiences that may have caused them deep hurt and pain. Past experiences can hold them back and prevent them from moving forward with a more positive outlook. I strive to empower clients and encourage them to take control of their lives by changing behaviours that are not beneficial to them. I work as a psychodynamic psychotherapist but influenced by the humanistic and person-centred models. I am integrative in my approach, believing in the individuality of all clients, both in terms of their personalities but also in terms of their life experiences and how they have internalised them. I am non-directive and non-judgmental. I am a person of mature years with much life experience. I am a husband, father, one-time foster father and grandfather and, as a therapist, I am committed to continuous professional development and life-long learning. I have previously worked as an accountant and as a secondary teacher. I have experience of having worked for more than 600 hours, to date, with clients on issues such as depression, anxiety, addictions, relationships, bereavement, abuse, self-harm, self-esteem, anger and trauma.