Katja Heyer

BA Psychology, MSc Child & Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy

I completed the MSc. in Child and Adolescent Psychanalytic Psychotherapy at Trinity College in 2002 and now have more than twenty years’ experience working as a psychotherapist in a variety of settings which have included the child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS), voluntary organisations, schools, and private practice.  I am also an accredited psychoanalytic supervisor and am involved in the supervision and training of child and adolescent psychotherapy students and fully qualified therapists from a variety of backgrounds.  I am registered with the psychoanalytic section of The Irish Council for Psychotherapy (ICP) and the European Association of Psychotherapy (EAP).    

I am an active committee member of the Irish Institute for Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (IICAPP) where I am also the clinical supervision co-ordinator.  My role here includes monitoring the students’ progress with their training cases, maintaining links with the course supervisors and organising the group supervision seminars.  I am also the Garda vetting officer for the Institute and am responsible for ensuring that all students are Garda vetted before commencing their placements.

I have a background in special needs services and early childhood education and hold a primary degree in psychology.  Completing my training as a child and adolescent psychanalytic psychotherapist has enabled me to bring an understanding of relationships and unconscious processes to my work with both clients and the teams I have worked with.  Core to this understanding is the infant observation component of the training.  It honed my observation skills, gave me the confidence to trust my instincts and the wisdom that comes with being able to sit with the “not knowing” and allowing meaning to emerge.  Although a challenging training the rewards have been great.  It has given me the skills to work in a way that is always evolving and interesting.