Graham Norton

Graham is currently studying for a Master’s Degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy (Integrative Modalities) after having enjoyed a career for more than twenty years as both a critically acclaimed opera and jazz singer.

Graham’s success as a performer afforded him a platform to contribute meaningfully to the debate surrounding gender inequality, sexual discrimination, and gender identity politics in music. Celebrated author and critic Sammy Stein awarded him the singular honour of devoting a chapter to him in her widely regarded book “Women in Jazz”. For the past sixteen years Graham has also worked as a singing teacher and music therapist for the HSE where he specialised in working with dual diagnosis intellectually disabled clients. He has also worked as a vocal coach where he specialised in helping trans men and women find their voice both physically and metaphorically.

Graham lives by the motto that he is a tool for the vibrational change of others. He believes that it his role as a therapist to facilitate the positive changes which you wish to make. To accompany you on the journey to creating lasting change which will help you to live a healthy, fulfilled, and happy life. He offers a relaxed non-judgemental safe space through which the client can explore their thoughts and feelings.

Graham likes to help people examine all areas of their life. He believes in approaches that are based in the here and now but that also aren’t afraid to examine the past and to hope for the future. He believes that it is only in accepting every aspect of ourselves that we can then truly love ourselves and others. It is only when we love ourselves unconditionally that the magic of transformation can happen. As a student of Integrative Therapies, Graham bases his initial approach through a Person-Centred Approach which places the client at the heart of the therapy. Once he has worked with a client to establish the therapeutic alliance and understands their unique goals, Graham will then incorporate a variety of different techniques from various modalities including but not limited to:

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, MBCT or mindfulness based cognitive therapy, Existential Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, and Psychodynamic Therapy

Graham has a keen interest in Transpersonal (Spiritual) Psychotherapy and in addition to his master’s degree, is also studying for a diploma in Transpersonal Therapy and Shamanic Practices at The Irish Centre for Shamanic and Transpersonal Studies. The term Transpersonal means beyond the personal. It is a form of spiritual psychology which studies human experiences beyond the realms of ordinary reality. This includes methods such as dreamwork, meditation, journeying, yoga, reiki, trance states, shamanism, mystical and peak experiences, ecology, non-ordinary states of awareness and consciousness studies.

In addition to his work as a psychotherapist, Graham is also a Reiki Master with over twenty years of experience both as a practitioner and teacher. He has been attuned to Master Level in over fourteen different modalities including traditional Usui Reiki. Graham is delighted to be afforded the opportunity to offer clients of The Connolly Counselling Centre additional services as a Reiki Therapist.