Brian O’Sullivan

brian o'sullivan family therapist

MSc. Syst Psych, B.A, Dip Emer Med
Consultant Systemic Psychotherapist, FTAI, ICP, AFT, MII
Family Law Mediator, BPS Forensic Test User, Forensic Child Interviewer

Brian earned his M.Sc. in Systemic Family Psychotherapy at the Department of Child and Family Psychiatry, Mater University Hospital and University College Dublin.

Brian is a Systemic Family Psychotherapist. He has 21 years’ experience of working collaboratively in a healthcare context with adolescents, couples and families across the community, voluntary and statutory sectors as well as in private practice.

Brian works with his client(s) in the context of their whole lives and considers a person’s relationships, internal dialogue, history, work and social settings. He aims to assist the adolescent, individual, couple or family to come to their own satisfactory understandings or actions that will allow them to manage whatever issue troubles them.

The consultations are client led, confidential, collaborative, and non-judgemental. Brian aims to engage clients in a conversation that offers the individual, adolescent, couple or family alternative stories or descriptions to the ‘stuck’ or ‘pathological’ ones they currently find themselves in.

Brian has spent several years teaching accredited undergraduate and post graduate degree programmes in psychological theory and therapy. He has designed two Master’s programmes both of which have been validated by Middlesex University in London.

In collaboration with the Institute of Family Therapy Malta, he has designed the first accredited Post Graduate Programme in Parental Alienation Studies. See link here: https://parentalalienation.eu/post-graduate-award-in-parental-alienation-studies/

Parental Alienation

One area of Brian’s interest, research and practice relates to children resisting contact with a previously loved parent in the context of high conflict divorce and separations in Ireland often referred to as Parental Alienation.

Brian has conducted the only Irish study exploring Parental Alienation with ethical permissions from the Human Research Ethics Committee at University College Dublin.

He has been published in international peer reviewed Journals regarding the theme of Parental Alienation. Furthermore, he has published the only Irish papers across the Social, Legal & Mental Health literature in Ireland regarding the phenomenon of Parental Alienation.

Additionally, he has delivered his research findings at national and international postgraduate (Doctoral) research conferences. His expertise in the area of Parental Alienation means he is often requested to act as an expert witness in complex private family law proceedings where parental alienation may be considered to be a factor.

Separating Couples Mediation

Brian has spent several years acting as an expert witness in complex private family law proceedings across the District, Circuit and High Courts in Southern and Northern Ireland. He has offered a private family mediation service to clients within Ireland. He will also mediate in cases where there are international families, so long as one party resides within the Irish State. He has been well placed to see and experience families and couples navigate the adversarial process of the Family Law Courts for many years as well as the emotional, psychological, and financial devastation this brings to parents and families.

In particular he has observed the profound emotional, psychological and physical harms to children caught up in these lengthy adversarial processes because one / or both of their parents decide to separate / divorce in an unhealthy way.

Brian firmly believes in Family Law Mediation as an alternative to the lengthy, costly, adversarial, and arbitrary court process that can last many years perpetuating conflict, adding to the emotional and psychological distress and potential harms to children as well as dis-empowering parents from making their own decisions about their own lives in a timely manner.

Brian invites couples who are separating and / or divorcing to retain the decision-making and control of their lives at this difficult time from these “experts” in a process privileging the uniqueness of each family circumstance in a private, confidential, empowering, and dignified manner that reflects the values, beliefs of each parent and their hopes and dreams for their children’s welfare going forward despite the dissolution of the marriage or relationship.

Brian facilitates a structured approach to mediation where he works towards creating agreements, for example:

  • Parenting Agreements
  • Separation Agreements
  • Deeds of Separation
  • Consent Divorce
  • Family Disputes

Unlike the mediated agreements from the state-funded family mediation service. Brian’s private clients can and, in practice almost always do, decide their agreements are legally-binding. This is permitted under Section 11 of the Mediation Act.

Private Mediation is significantly cheaper than litigation. The total costs for many clients to conclude separation or divorce agreements with Brian are generally less than 20%, and often less than 15%, of the typical legal costs for equivalent litigation. We’d be happy to discuss comparisons with any prospective client. We believe this is excellent value given the level of support and engagement our clients receive.

Brian can offer appointments to all clients within 10 days of their first call to us. We can’t guarantee an outcome, but we can guarantee we’ll put in the time and effort to give your case the very best chance of success.

If you are committed to retaining control over your own decision-making process in a private, confidential and dignified manner while optimising the emotional, psychological and physical outcomes for your children across their lifespan, take the first step today and schedule a consultation with Brian to see if Family Law Mediation is for you. Contact us by email at [email protected] or telephone 01 2100 600 to schedule a consultation.

Phone: +353 1 2100 600
297 Beechwood Court
Stillorgan, Co. Dublin, A94 N726