Athlone, Dublin & Galway

Tel: 353906470484  Email: info@icppd.com
Facebook Twitter Linkedin

Nurturing a Research Culture at ICPPD: How Curiosity Shapes Our Learning Community

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

At the International College for Personal and Professional Development (ICPPD), research is more than an academic requirement — it’s part of who we are. Grounded in a holistic approach to education and a commitment to adult and life-long education, ICPPD has built a learning environment where curiosity, creativity, and reflective inquiry are encouraged at every stage of training.

While our core mission is to support the growth of compassionate, competent practitioners, we also recognise that strong research skills empower counsellors and psychotherapists to stay grounded in evidence-informed practice. This blend of holistic development and academic scholarship is what makes ICPPD a College with a Difference.

Where Our Research Culture Begins

From the moment learners join the BA (Hons) in Holistic Counselling and Psychotherapy (NFQ Level 8), they begin to develop their academic writing and research skills. Through a dedicated research stream that spans Years 1 to 4, learners gradually develop the confidence and skills needed to design and complete their own independent Year 4 Research Project.

ICPPD positions itself as a community of adult learners—people bringing rich life experience, curiosity, and insight. This makes the research journey meaningful, personal, and often transformative.

What Research Looks Like at ICPPD

A strong research culture doesn’t mean sitting in silence with academic journals. At ICPPD, research feels alive. It is:

• Integrated into everyday learning

• Encouraged among learners and faculty alike

• Connected to real-world therapeutic work

The Research Topics That Inspire Our Learners

The diversity of research coming from ICPPD reflects the diversity of our learners’ areas of interest and experience. Here are just a few examples of recent research themes:

• Using music and sound therapy within holistic counselling

• How therapy can support people experiencing Problematic Gaming

• Navigating self-identity during the transition to motherhood

• Compassion fatigue and the role of self-care for therapists

• Holistic approaches to late-diagnosed autistic females

• Supporting disenfranchised grief in separated or divorced clients

• Exploring Artificial Intelligence as a companion in therapy

• The role of nature-based practices in strengthening the therapeutic relationship

Celebrating Excellence: A Proud Moment for ICPPD

In 2025, ICPPD graduate of the BA (Hons) in Holistic Counselling and Psychotherapy, Sarah Finnerty won the inaugural IACP Undergraduate Research Excellence Award. Her project, titled:

“Balancing the emotional tightrope: Understanding countertransference when working with clients at risk of suicide in the therapy room,”

was recognised and celebrated as a work of outstanding research conducted by an undergraduate. Sarah credited her supervisor, Dr. Anne O’Connor, and research tutor, Anne Marie Lowry, for their guidance—reflecting the strong mentorship at the heart of ICPPD’s research culture.

Looking Ahead: Growing a Culture of Inquiry

ICPPD’s research culture continues to evolve, fuelled by:

• Curiosity

• Creative thinking

• A commitment to evidence-informed practice

• A belief in the power of adult learning

A Living Culture of Learning

At ICPPD, research isn’t separate from practice—it’s woven into the very fabric of how we learn, grow, and understand the world as holistic therapists. With each new project, learners add their voices to the ongoing story of our profession.

And that story continues to unfold — one thoughtful question at a time.

Alan holds a Masters Degree and Graduate Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy from the University of Limerick. He has worked in private practice in Limerick and Ennis for many years. He has lectured on research on the Psychotherapy M.A. in U.L., and worked as a group facilitator on the M.A. in Music Therapy in U.L. Alan also holds a Higher National Diploma and Bachelors Degree in Irish Music, and has taught guitar on the B.A. in Irish Music and Dance at the Irish World Academy. As a professional musician he has toured extensively throughout Ireland and Europe with various artists. Alan’s interests include auto-ethnographic and heuristic approaches to research, personal development, and transpersonal approaches to psychotherapy. He continues to get great enjoyment from music, playing regularly in the Limerick and Ennis scene, as well as working on various recording projects. He values the personal development of student therapists and the effective integration of this with skills and theory.