Nettie Bowie M.A, H.Dip, BA.
Child & Adolescent Therapist
Specialising In CBT,
EMDR and Grief & Loss
Parent Support Coach
As a Child & Adolescent Therapist I offer dedicated one-to-one support to children, teens and adolescents aged 9 to 24 and to parents who may be struggling with understanding how best to support their child or teen.
I bring two decades of hands-on experience in working with children to my professional endeavours. My background is deeply rooted in the education sector, where I dedicated fourteen years to serving as a Special Needs Assistant. Subsequently, I embarked on a fulfilling path as a therapist, specialising in supporting children and young people from age 9 to 24, who may be grappling with emotional and behavioural challenges.
My expertise extends to children and adolescents who have encountered trauma in their life through the medium of EMDR. Moreover, I have gained certification as a Grief Educator under the tutelage of renowned grief expert David Kessler.
I believe that healing happens within the family unit and that 'parents are the agents of change' [Dr.Garry Landreth] therefore through my clinic at NorthStar Counselling & Therapy Centre I also offer Parent Support Clinics providing guidance to parents through education on emotional overwhelm, anxiety, behaviour management, communication, and explores strategies that parents can use within the home to help support them in their parenting role. I draw on the knowledge and expertise I gained having trained with the HSE as a facilitator of Family Communication and Self-Esteem [FCSE] programme and Positive Parenting for Changing Families and Family Communications programmes with One Family.
My academic foundation is anchored in Social Care, with initial studies at Carlow I.T., followed by a H.Dip in Social Personal & Health Education (SPHE) from Waterford I.T. This solid base paved the way for my pursuit of a Masters Degree in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) at the Irish College of Humanities and Applied Sciences (ICHAS). Demonstrating my commitment to professional growth, I have supplemented my qualifications with post-graduate certifications in Child & Adolescent Counselling & Psychotherapy, CBT with Children and Adolescents, and Therapeutic Play Skills training. I am also a Level 2 Mindfulness Teacher having qualified in 2019 through The Mindfulness Network in collaboration with Bangor University. I also qualified as a Child & Adolescent mindfulness teacher.
Establishing my private practice in 2014 marked a pivotal point in my therapeutic career. Subsequently, I expanded my clinic work by founding NorthStar Counselling & Therapy Centre in 2020. At the clinic, I lead a team of adept counsellors, psychotherapists and play therapists who collectively offer mental health support across all age groups, encompassing children, adolescents, and adults alike.
Beyond my individualised therapeutic work, I provide informative talks for parents, delivered in partnership with schools, Family Resource Centres, and other relevant agencies.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Thinking in more helpful ways
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is an effective form of therapy which consists of a combination of Cognitive Therapy, which focuses on reducing self-defeating thoughts (cognitions) and Behavioural Therapy, which focuses on changing unhelpful actions (behaviours).
There is sometimes an assumption that CBT is simply just about ‘positive thinking’. However, CBT is much more than that. It’s about having a more balanced, realistic way of thinking or being able to ‘put things into perspective’.CBT emphasises that the way in which we think about ourselves, others and particular life situations, affects our feelings and our actions. Working together with a therapist, CBT can help you develop techniques and strategies that help you reflect on your current thinking patterns and how to start thinking in new, more helpful and productive ways.
Making constructive changes requires some effort and practice, as you may often be changing lifetime habits but by practising your strategies/techniques over and over you will begin to feel more confident in applying them to your daily life. Therefore CBT encourages ‘homework tasks’ for you to carry out between therapy sessions.
Changing your actions through CBT can also impact on how you think and feel. This can be in relation to how you respond in certain situations and also in terms of life style choices that you make. CBT helps you develop alternative actions or behavioural responses by helping you set realistic goals for yourself and aiming towards them - taking one step at a time so you have a better chance of achieving them.
While it emphasises the importance of reflection of thoughts and behaviours CBT also uses practical techniques. This involves trying out and practising ideas and strategies that can help you learn new ways of thinking and doing. In CBT terms these strategies are known as 'behavioural experiments' - as experimenting with or trying out these new techniques, you get a better chance of seeing what works best for you. You can then build on your new skills and/or adapt them to suit your own needs.
CBT emphasises that the way in which we think about ourselves, others and particular life situations, affects our feelings and our actions. Working together with a therapist, CBT can help you develop techniques and strategies that help you reflect on your current thinking patterns and how to start thinking in new, more helpful and productive ways.
Making constructive changes requires some effort and practice, as you may often be changing lifetime habits but by practising your strategies/techniques over and over you will begin to feel more confident in applying them to your daily life. Therefore CBT encourages ‘homework tasks’ for you to carry out between therapy sessions.
