Mayo arts centre to host special retreat with leading psychologist Dr Tony Bates

Mulranny Arts is set to welcome renowned clinical psychologist, psychotherapist and author Dr Tony Bates to Mayo this November for a special residential retreat exploring self-compassion, vulnerability and what it means to live more fully and authentically.

‘Finding the Place That Has Never Been Wounded’ will take place at Mulranny Arts from November 25 to 29, bringing participants together for reflection and conversation.

Irish composer, author, academic and mental health advocate Niall Breslin, known as ‘Bressie’, will join Dr Bates for the final day of the retreat.

The programme will explore how people can develop a greater capacity to meet life’s challenges with openness and compassion.

Through group work, self-reflective exercises, music and art, participants will be invited to explore identity, vulnerability, self-compassion and their individual place in the world.

The retreat forms part of Mulranny Arts’ programme of immersive residential experiences combining creativity, culture, learning and personal exploration.

Cheryl Cobern Browne, Founder and Mission Director of Mulranny Arts, said the centre was “genuinely honoured” to welcome Dr Bates.

“Tony’s work has touched so many people, and the themes at the heart of this experience feel particularly suited to Mulranny, a place where the landscape itself encourages us to slow down, reflect and reconnect,” she said.

She added that the participation of Niall Breslin would make the final day a particularly special part of the programme.

“Bringing together psychology, music, art, reflection and the landscape of Clew Bay makes this a very exciting addition to our residential programme,” she said.

Dr Tony Bates is a clinical psychologist, psychotherapist and Adjunct Professor of Psychology at University College Dublin. He served for 30 years as Head of the Department of Psychology at St James’s Hospital in Dublin before founding Jigsaw, the National Centre for Youth Mental Health.

He is Patron of the Mindfulness Teachers Association of Ireland and is the author of Coming Through Depression: A Mindful Path to Recovery and the memoir Breaking the Heart Open: The Shaping of a Psychologist.

The retreat begins with participant arrival at Mulranny Arts on Wednesday, November 25, and concludes on Sunday, November 29.

Places are limited and participation is by application. Further information and registration of interest is available on the Mulranny Arts website.