Nurture to offer more help

A national charity which offers subsidised counselling to women suffering from post-natal depression and other birth-related problems is to significantly expand its services throughout Cork.

Nurture to offer more help

Set up by Dublin therapist Irene Lowry in 2011, Nurture has a strict ‘no wait-list’ policy. It has 27 counsellors nationwide, 10 based in Dublin and one in Cork. The organisation provides a number of services including one-to-one counselling, telephone support and counselling, support groups, and the provision of resilience skills to women.

Nurture says it plans to increase its network of counsellors throughout the Cork region to six by the end of February, with therapists available in the city, along with west, east, and north Cork.

Nationally, Nurture also plans to expand its network to 37 counsellors in 14 counties over the coming weeks. In the longer term, Ms Lowry says it aims to have 50 counsellors countrywide within two years.

“We established our first counsellor in Cork three years ago in Ballincollig. Now we are working to expand that network to six therapists,” said Ms Lowry, who won the Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Impact Programme award in 2015 for her work in establishing the organisation.

The planned expansion of the organisation both in Cork and nationally was due to what she described as “a massive demand” for Nurture’s services.

The provision of counselling to help women deal with post-natal depression accounted for about half of Nurture’s work in Cork region. According to the HSE, the condition may affect up to one in six new mothers in Ireland, although some experts believe it affects more.

“We offer heavily subsidised, one-to-one counselling and support to women and their partners suffering from post-natal depression, loss of a baby, miscarriage, fertility issues, and other issues.

“We offer truly timely support services to women in need. Cork is a huge region. There’s a big demand for our services,” she said, adding that clients range between 19 and 45, and hail from all socioeconomic backgrounds.

Nurture, with its headquarters in Skerries, Co Dublin, was established by Ms Lowry after she became aware that two young women suffering from post- natal depression had ended their lives through suicide after being on a public waiting list for counselling for nine months.

“Our aim is to match clients with counsellors in their own geographical area and offer relevant support,” she said.

Nurture helpline: 01 8430930

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