About Dawn Kenny — IACP Accredited Counsellor in Dublin
I became a counsellor because, long before I ever trained, people found their way to me anyway. Friends and colleagues going through some of the hardest moments of their lives would quietly ask my advice,
and I always felt honoured that they trusted me with their experiences.
Those conversations inspired me to turn something that came naturally into a profession, and why I've kept training ever since. Today I work as an IACP accredited counsellor in Dublin, seeing clients in person.
Who I work with
I mostly work with women in their 30s to mid-50s who've spent years holding everything together. You might recognise some of this: you're the reliable one, the strong one, the one people lean on. Underneath, you may feel lonely, hurt or ignored — even surrounded by people.
Perhaps a glass of wine most evenings has become less a treat and more a way to switch off. Perhaps anger has started surfacing in ways that frighten you. None of that means something is wrong with you. It's often your body trying to speak to you, telling you that something's been carried for too long without support.
I work with adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, women navigating perimenopause, and women juggling demanding careers with caring for ageing parents.
What matters to me in the room
Counselling with me isn't just sitting and talking. I want you to leave sessions with something real — a shift, a skill, a small brave step toward the life you actually want.
I'll hold space for you to be vulnerable, but I'll also gently challenge you if I sense denial, real risk, or old patterns of staying stuck in the "victim" seat. And when you do the brave thing — set the boundary, say the hard sentence, sit with a feeling you've avoided for years — we celebrate that too.
What it's like to work with me
I keep a small number of clients at any one time, so you get the best of me, not a stretched version. We go at your pace. You don't need your whole story sorted out before you come in.
Sometimes, if I notice you becoming overwhelmed while telling something difficult, I'll gently interrupt. That can feel frustrating in the moment, but it's for your safety — so you can leave the room able to return to your day, not carrying more than you came in with.
I'm your cheerleader when things feel like too much, and your challenger when I notice you settling back into old, familiar patterns. I don't have all the answers to everything, and I'll tell you plainly when I don't know something — but you won't be figuring it out alone.
My training, experience and registration as an IACP accredited counsellor in Dublin
My training sits behind everything we do together. I'm a qualified counsellor and fully accredited member of the IACP (Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy), membership number M12121.
I've trained and worked with One in Four, Ireland's leading service for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, and completed British Menopause Society training in cognitive behavioural approaches for menopause symptoms. Some of my further training includes a Certificate in Multicultural Wellness (body-based techniques for trauma and transformation), a Certificate in Traumatic Attachment and Co-Regulation with Janina Fisher, a Certificate in Trauma Therapy Training with Babette Rothschild, and a Certificate in Healing the Trauma of Rape and Sexual Abuse with the Rape Crisis Centre.
I've worked as a counsellor since 2017, including roles with Northside Counselling Service, as a perinatal mental health counsellor with Anew Support Services, and as a trauma counsellor with One in Four. I established my private practice in 2023.
What to know before you get in touch
A few things that help you know whether we're a good fit: I don't provide letters for third parties, and I don't appear in court as a witness or provide testimonial.
I don't work with clients who've been mandated, sent, or told they must attend if they don't believe they need to be there — counselling only really works when you want to be in the room. I work best with people who are done with just surviving their day, week or life, and who want to build something better than that, even if you're not yet sure what that looks like.
If this feels like the right fit
You don't need to have the whole story sorted before we start — we'll go slowly, and some weeks you may only get to one small moment. That's enough to begin. If what you've read here feels like a fit, you're welcome to complete the contact form on this website to make an enquiry or book a session.
