Research in Guidance webinar with Claire Considine, Dublin City University

Central to Claire’s work is an important question: how can those whose professional lives are dedicated to supporting the wellbeing, development and futures of others be supported to flourish themselves? This question is at the heart of her PhD research, which focuses specifically on the occupational wellbeing of Guidance Counsellors and the factors that can support their wellbeing and sustainability within an increasingly complex and demanding professional landscape. Claire’s presentation “Self-Care for Guidance Counsellors through the Lens of Positive Psychology and Lifestyle Medicine,” brings together the key strands of her professional practice, academic study and doctoral research. Drawing on her experience as a Guidance Counsellor and educator, alongside her studies in Positive Health at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), Claire explores self-care through a broader, evidence-informed lens.

Claires approach moves beyond viewing self-care as an occasional or purely individual response to stress. Instead, she considers how insights from positive psychology, lifestyle medicine and the science of wellbeing can be translated into realistic and sustainable practices that support Guidance Counsellors in protecting their health, strengthening resilience, enhancing wellbeing and sustaining themselves within the emotional and professional demands of their work.