The PsyCare Ireland Core Team

Michael Ledden

Psychotherapist & Chairperson

Michael is a fully accredited psychotherapist (IACP, IAHIP, ICP Accredited, Msc. in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy). Michael has a background in working in homeless services with clients in addiction and also worked as an advocate for refugees. For the last number of years Michael has run his own psychotherapy service Anxiety Ireland, is a manager in a company that provides Employee Assistance Programs within large organisations and works as a facilitator and psychotherapist with InwardBound Psilocybin retreats in the Netherlands. Michael has enjoyed the Irish Music Festival scene since his late teens and in 2021 he started to volunteer with PsyCare UK. Michael brought the current team together to form the founding board of PsyCare Ireland. Michael maintains a private practice as a psychotherapist with short and long term clients.

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.

GDPR Officer & 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

Dr. Kathryn Ledden

Kathryn is a medical doctor with a background in Psychology, Social Care and research (MB, BCh, BAO - RCSI; BSc Psychology - DCU). Kathryn has worked for over 7 years with people recovering from mental and physical health difficulties, addiction, and personal trauma in settings such as hospitals, homeless services, and recovery houses. Kathryn has previously volunteered with Kosmicare in Portugal and as a Team leader with PsyCare UK.

They have contributed to research into psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression, and serve as a researcher and protocol reviewer for a psilocybin retreat organisation. Kathryn’s interest in harm reduction comes from a love of the festival and live music scene, as well as a personal belief in the power of some drug experiences for healing and self-discovery. 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.

Medical Doctor & PsyCare Ireland Secretary

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

Paul is passionate about health, wellbeing, and personal growth. Motivated by historic health challenges he channelled his energy into 3 years of further study and qualified as a Nutritionist in 2019 while working in Financial Services.

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 Financial Management and Financial Advice from the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants and the Institute of Bankers in Ireland, respectively.

Today Paul works with individuals who are seeking to improve their health and wellbeing using nutrition, natural medicines, and lifestyle coaching. Utilising insights gained from working closely with hundreds of large organisations, and from workplace wellbeing postgraduate studies at Trinity College Dublin, Paul aims to help Irish workplaces implement higher quality, more sustainable, evidence based health and wellbeing programmes.

Treasurer

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.

Medical Doctor & Trainee Psychiatrist

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