About Pearse
I was born in Co. Mayo, on the West Coast of Ireland in the middle of the last Century (Yes, I’m an auld fella!).
From an early age I was always fascinated by ‘what makes us tick’. Specifically, I wanted to know more about the mind.
Where do our thoughts and ideas come from, and how do they influence our behaviours? How are good habits formed? (Back then, the only habits that ever got a look-in were ‘bad’ habits). Can behaviour be changed and modified, and how?
Why do we get scared? Can we do anything about it? What’s the difference between a fear and a phobia? Left Hemisphere and Right Hemisphere: what’s that all about? Conscious, Unconscious and Sub-conscious: what’s the difference?
What part do beliefs play? How does the ebb and flow of our feelings affect our responses?
To seek an answer to these questions, I read every book that had anything to do with how the mind affects who we are.
My History
In the mid 1990’s, I started to formally study this field in a more structured way, spread over a number of years. There were, of course, other things to be done at the same time: a young, growing family; a day job to look after. But eventually in 2004, I qualified as a Hypnotherapist with an Advanced diploma from The Institute of Clinical Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy (ICHP).
The intention then was to set up my own practice. Back in the Nineties and early Noughties, Ireland was going through a period of unprecedented phenomenal economic growth, sometimes referred to as The Celtic Tiger. My own office equipment business was becoming very busy, constantly on the go and most people thought we’d never see a poor day again! While the idea of setting up the hypnotherapy practice was put on the back burner, I was still keeping my hand in and keeping my skills and knowledge constantly updated. The ICHP would regularly run further training lectures and weekend courses. Typically, these would focus in on a particular topic or speciality in the field and would often feature a guest lecturer of international repute.
Then came the time when most ‘normal’ people think about retiring. And retiring was not something that would suit me. I don’t fish, I don’t play golf, I’m not much of a gardener. It became obvious that I would devote myself to my passion. I went back to study again, this time with Irish Hypnosis Training, and received my Advanced Diploma. This was a very interesting time. The first school was very strong on Analytical Hypnosis, while the second were strong on suggestion, self-hypnosis and phobia treatment. I now felt I had the best of both worlds and set up my own practice in 2013.
And, right up to today, I’ve clocked up hundreds of hours of additional training to fine-tune my skill, here in Dublin and all over the UK.
People I help
I love what I do ! It awakens in me and brings to life, a capacity that had lain dormant for who knows how long. And, for that, I am grateful. Every day I get to work with people who have, literally, turned their lives around.
Those people who:
Had been afraid to go outside their own front door.
Could only holiday somewhere you could drive to because they just can’t fly.
Had to leave the room at the sight of a spider.
Had an unending list of phobias, heights, blood, public speaking etc.
Were anxious, depressed, shy or withdrawn.
Were smokers who tried a hundred times to quit.
Are athletes who were doing great, but also knew they could be even better.
Wanted to swim further or faster.
Had goals but lacked vision, and had difficulty getting there.
Wanted to get a handle on handling stress
What do I give these people?
Methods of coping with their stress or managing their anxiety.
Re-winding that phobia so that they need fear no more. The means to improve that marathon time, or shake off the shackles of that smoking addiction or to re-define their vision of where they’re headed in life.
I hold up a mirror to reflect back some of their own inner resources.
Resources that have, perhaps, lain dormant for some time. Or were denied. Or were rejected. Or not nurtured and encouraged to grow. It’s all in there!
These resources, capabilities and capacities were all gifted to us at birth.
With a bit of help and awareness they can be brought back to help us. Sometimes it takes a little time and nurturing. That’s all.
I love the origin of the word ‘Educate’. It comes from the Latin ‘Educo, Educare’, meaning to draw forth or to lead out.
To draw forth what? That which is already within!
