The PsyCare Ireland Core Team
Mick Ledden
Psychotherapist, Founding Director & Chairperson
Mick is a fully accredited psychotherapist (IACP, IAHIP, ICP Accredited, B.A., MPhil. International Peace Studies., Msc. in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy). Mick has a background in working in homeless services with clients in addiction and also worked in a support and advocacy role with International Protection Applicants and Refugees. For the last number of years Mick has run his own psychotherapy service Anxiety Ireland and works as a facilitator and psychotherapist with InwardBound Psilocybin retreats in the Netherlands.
Mick has enjoyed the Irish Music Festival scene since his late teens, though in the past at events in 2011 and 2015, he needed the services that PsyCare now provides, but at that time and at those events they weren't available. In 2021 he started to volunteer with PsyCare UK which served as life changing moment which inspired him to bring the current team together to form the founding board of PsyCare Ireland. Since our founding he has been successful in leading PsyCare Ireland to win places on Social Enterprise grant programmes with RETHINK Ireland, Oakfield Trust and Social Entrepreneurs Ireland. Away from PsyCare, Mick maintains a private practice as a psychotherapist with short and long term clients.
Email: mick@psycareireland.org
Chris Connors
Chris Connors has worked with harm reduction organisations involved in event welfare for over 7 years, advocating for a compassionate, health-led approach which encompasses human rights. Chris is a data protection and privacy practitioner with a background in Cybersecurity, Philosophy and Ethics (H-Dip, MA, BA). Their independent research uses threat intelligence techniques to detect emerging drug trends.
They have participated in EU-funded projects on drug strategy and policy reform, working to build and strengthen youth-led harm reduction organisations and networks across Europe. They have previously volunteered with PsyCare UK. They are passionate about music, nightlife, and festival culture, and believe that education and open dialogue can foster positive social change in the attitudes and behaviours around substance use and health.
Email: chris@psycareireland.org
GDPR Officer, Service Lead & Research Team
Declan Hammond
Declan Hammond is a homeopath, transpersonal therapist and shamanic practitioner and a co-founder and former director of The Irish School of Homeopathy. Declan has developed a unique synthesis of both ancient and modern healing techniques and works with individuals and groups to empower deep personal growth and spiritual development. His passion is for working with people challenged by non-ordinary states of consciousness, who are undergoing Spiritual Emergency/Psychosis type experiences. He has a particular interest in drug harm reduction and psychedelic integration work. He is part of the Kosmicare Medical Team at Boom Festival, Portugal and is a founding director of PsyCare Ireland.
Homeopath, Transpersonal Therapist, Shamanic Practitioner & Founding Director
Dr. Kathryn Ledden
Kat is a medical doctor with a background in Psychology, Social Care, and research (MB, BCh, BAO, BSc Psychology). Kat has worked for 10 years with people recovering from mental and physical health difficulties, addiction, and personal trauma in settings such as hospitals, homeless services, and recovery houses. They have previously volunteered with Kosmicare in Portugal and as a Team leader with PsyCare UK.
Kat works as a Clinical Research Fellow in the Psychedelic Research Group in Trinity College Dublin, serving as a Sub-Investigator on psychedelic assisted therapy trials. Kat is also a member of the Trépel Health Economics Lab, conducting research into drug and alcohol related presentations to the emergency department, and documenting the work of PsyCare Ireland.
Kat’s interest in harm reduction also comes from a love of the festival and live music scene. Between professional and life experiences, they have seen how people use substances to explore themselves, but also to escape difficult emotions and self-medicate; this has led to a passion for education and changing the culture around substance use in Ireland.
Email: kat@psycareireland.org
Medical Doctor, PsyCare Ireland Secretary & Founding Director
David Philips
Dave Phillips is an IAHIP accredited psychotherapist who works in private practice in Dublin. He works with people who are experiencing issues connected to developmental trauma, loss and bereavement, and physical ill-health and surgery. By using a trauma-informed approach, Dave believes that what may be overwhelming or debilitating experiences can be safely processed and used to gain insight and growth. His MSc. dissertation explores the role of the therapist in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.
Founding Director & Psychotherapist
Paul Kinsella
During his 20-year financial services career Paul led relationships at a Corporate Bank with hundreds of large Irish Corporates, Multinationals and FDI companies, providing financing packages of up to €150m. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Banking & Finance) degree from UCD, and Postgraduate Diplomas in both Financial Management and Financial Advice from the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants, and the Institute of Bankers in Ireland respectively.
Paul is passionate about health, wellbeing, and personal growth. He is a qualified Nutritionist, now working in private practice. His goal is to improve wellbeing in Irish workplaces, utilising deep insights gained from his many years working with large, complex organisations across every industry.
Email: paul@psycareireland.org
Treasurer & Head of Legal
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Dr Stephen Gavin
BM, BSc, Stephen alternated between holistic and academic training, first obtaining training in Acupuncture principles and Kinesiology, prior to a BSc in Psychology in Maynooth, which emphasised developmental and behavioural models. He later obtained certifications in CranioSacral Therapy, Permaculture Design, Organic Horticulture, and Holistic Massage, prior to completing a degree in Medicine at age 32.
He has since worked in Psychiatry and is completing the Basic specialist training. His interest in harm reduction stems from special interest in non-ordinary consciousness as means of psychotherapeutic processing, which can provide low-risk benefits for many problems. Through a variety of holistic training, he works with ordinary and non-ordinary conscious processes as means of improving health and contentment for individuals. He has worked with harm reduction services at Kosmicare, Boom Festival, Portugal, and around Ireland including Life Festival 2007 and Electric Picnic 2015, and has spoken about Transpersonal Psychology at conferences and festivals.
Email: stephen@psycareireland.org
Medical Doctor, Trainee Psychiatrist & Founding Director
Ciara Sherlock
Ciara Sherlock is passionate about supporting people through significant moments or life transitions. For the last decade she has worked in the psychedelic space, firstly volunteering at psychedelic welfare spaces at festivals, then co-founding psilocybin assisted retreat organisation Alalaho and facilitating retreats for several years. She also founded The Psychedelic Society of Ireland in 2015 and wrote "The Spirit of the Liberty Cap: A Guide to Foraging & Journeying with Magic Mushrooms" in 2021.
Her main role in the psychedelic space now is doing integration work with people to help them bring the lessons they learn from peak experiences into their daily lives. She also now works as a birth doula and weaves her experience of holding intense emotional and spiritual experiences into this work. Trained in bodywork therapy and Shamanic counselling, the way she supports people goes beyond the mental realm and into the physical, emotional and spiritual realms.
Founding Director of The Psychedelic Society of Ireland
Volunteer Welfare Officer
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Deirdre Mullins
Press Officer & Service Lead
Deirdre Mullins brings a rich and diverse background to her role as Press Officer at Psycare. With experience in both social care and nursing, she focused her nursing career primarily on palliative care and oncology. Her professional journey took a creative turn in her late 20s when she pursued a Master's in Journalism, leading to a successful media career. Deirdre has spent sixteen years working with Ireland's national broadcaster, RTÉ, in various roles, including television producer, travel writer, and documentary maker, contributing across television, radio, and online platforms.
Currently, Deirdre is expanding her expertise by studying for a Master's in Psychotherapy, with plans to begin practising in 2026. A lifelong festival enthusiast, she is passionate about integrating welfare services and harm reduction initiatives at Irish festivals. Deirdre is committed to transforming the festival culture in Ireland, advocating for safer and more compassionate environments for both attendees and staff.
For media inquiries, please contact Deirdre at press@psycareireland.org.