Caoimhe’s Letter

Dear Me,
(TW: Eating disorder)
You are 16 now and I’ve something important I want you to know. I want you to read these words and truly take them in. I want you to hold them in your head every day, repeat them to yourself if necessary. I can’t lie to you, I still struggle. I still forget how to remind myself that I am worth more than a sum of my parts. That who I see in the mirror is not someone to be afraid of. I can’t promise you that your body will stop being your worst enemy. But you do gain some clarity and you’re able to drag yourself out of the pit you’ve been in for years.
You have grown up watching women rip themselves apart. You’ve watched your mother, her sisters, her friends all point out the parts of their body they hate the most. You’ve taken that on board subconsciously and unfortunately, you’ll carry it forever. You always saw your mother as a beautiful woman. A beautiful woman with a belly and stretch marks and arms that jiggle when she moves. None of those things made her ugly to you, they made her your mammy, that beautiful woman. So why do they make you disgusting?
The things you do to your body are not healthy. Hiding while you eat food, avoiding food all together. Eating a grapefruit a day for 2 weeks is not something you should regard as an achievement. You love food! Food is a joy, a past time, something in life which you can now embrace, laugh over, not hide. It’s a hobby. Be proud of the dinners you cook, the cakes you bake and enjoy them yourself! Eat them yourself!
When you are 21 you will find a diary from when you just turned 11 and you’ll cry as you see your scribbly, little girl handwriting “I hate myself. I hate my body and my face, I’m ugly and fat.” You’’ll read about how you snuck ice cream to eat privately even though you had refused it after dinner. You’ll read a list meant to inspire you to “be better” and number one on that list (spelt horribly wrong) will be “Lose Weit.” You’ll recognise that you were only a child then and you had already started punishing yourself. You didn’t deserve it, you don’t now, as a 16-year-old and you won’t in the future, as an adult woman. As me.
You won’t recognise any of this as a problem, you’ve got bigger fish to fry, am I right girl? A plethora of mental health issues, a horrible boyfriend and a tendency to lie to your therapist are definitely higher on your list of priorities. It wont be until this year, when your in your early twenties will your sister say to you “You had an eating disorder” will you ever look back and realise what has been happening. You’ll also realise that you’re still fighting it, it didn’t disappear on its own. Of course it didn’t! You need help and you should get it.
No one else is scrutinizing you the way you think they are. No one is watching you as you walk down the road and thinking you look fat. Fat is not a negative word. It’s the same as thin, its an adjective. People shouldn’t regard you as being worth less for being fat. If they did: what are the worth to your life? You’ve never though negatively about somebody else’s body so don’t assume everyone else does about yours. Nobody cares. They care about your laugh, how funny you are, how creative and clever. They care about how you make them feel: loved, cared for, important. They care about your opinions and stories and your plans. You are beautiful, not just physically, its ingrained deep inside you. You can see the beauty in everything and that shows. You are completely brilliant, and you need to hear that.
I love you,
You.

Grace Alice Sex And Relationships Educator

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Disclaimer

This service is fully limited to Sexuality Education. All advice is given in an honest manner and as guidance only. By using this service, you agree that you make your own decisions, relying solely on your discretion; any use you make of such answers, advice or services is at your own risk and ‘Grace Alice Sexuality Educator’ cannot be held responsible or be liable for any damages or losses resulting from your reliance on such answers or advice.

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Firstly, let us start with what the session is not! I am not a practicing sex therapist, sexologist, medical professional, psychotherapist, psychologist, counsellor, or mental health professional. Therefore, I do not provide medical advice (although I may recommend that you seek guidance from a medical professional if appropriate) or a therapy service.

Sex & Relationships Education is a separate field to these professions, and I employ my own unique approach based on my qualifications, training, and experience. I hold an undergraduate degree in Occupational Therapy and a Masters degree in Health Promotion. I have over six years experience working as a Sex & Relationships Educator and have undergone continuous professional development and training. I also studied empathy education as a UNESCO scholar, which informs my approach. Details of my qualifications and training are available on my LinkedIn page – please see the ‘About’ page also!

Within a session, I offer a confidential and safe space for discussion of various issues relating to relationships and sexuality. I strive for a relaxed, informal vibe, where you can chat about something that you have been struggling with. I can offer a friendly and non-judgemental listening ear, suggestions on how you can approach your own personal situation, general information on the related topic(s) and details of relevant professionals, support services and organisations (usually in a follow-up email). I can accommodate sessions relating to many topics relating to relationships and sexuality – including but not limited to body image, sexual communication, consent and boundaries, protection, anatomy, vaginismus, porn, STIs and STI stigma, healthy and unhealthy relationships, gender and sexuality, pleasure, arousal, desire, infidelity, break-ups, dating, and more.  I want my clients to feel relaxed, comfortable, and free to talk without fear or shame, like they would with a very close friend!

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In a nutshell, you can contact me via the booking page on this site and request a booking. If I decide that a session with me would be a good fit for you, I will contact you and arrange a time and date!

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ServiceDurationCost
Standard Session1 hour€50
Student* Standard Session1 hour€40
   
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Due to the nature of this service, I cannot offer any refunds for any reason during or after a session.

However, if you have paid and can no longer attend the scheduled session, I can offer you a full refund if you notify me of the cancellation at least 48 hours beforehand. If you wish to reschedule, please notify me at least 48 hours before the time of the scheduled session, and we can work something out!

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Imay choose not to do a session with you if I feel that I am unable to offer support or education relating to your situation. I will contact you to let you know if I have decided that my service is not a good fit for you, and I will offer some suggestions regarding more suitable professionals/organisations/services to contact.

Although we may chat about lots of different things during a session, if someone has clearly not been truthful in the booking form about the topic area that want to discuss and appear to have an ulterior motive in booking the session, I may choose to end the session. The same rule applies to a situation where someone is clearly not who they have stated they are in the booking form. 

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Is it all confidential?

Y

es! Confidentiality is essential to a service like this and I will do everything in my power on my end to protect it.

Here is what I will do on my end; I will abide by GDPR guidelines and make every effort to keep all personal information relating to sessions safe. Booking requests and emails with a form attached/included will be retained for no more than 1 year. The form may be printed, and I may take notes before, during and after the session either by hand or typed. Forms, notes, and USB key will all be stored in a locked file safe in my home office. All forms and notes (hard and soft copies) will be deleted and/or destroyed after one year.  I will send you a Zoom Meeting ID and password before the session using the email address you have given me. I will use headphones and will be alone in a private space during all sessions. All  records of calls and video calls will be deleted after one year.

Please be mindful of what you choose to share within the session. I have an obligation to break confidentiality and report to Tusla and/or the Gardaí any disclosures of child abuse, sexual abuse, physical abuse and other crimes.

Here is what you must do on your end! You must not screenshot, record and/or distribute any part of your session. It is also your responsibility to protect your privacy as much as you like on your end. This may include keeping your phone password-protected, using a non-identifiable email address that does not include your name, deleting correspondence, making sure you have a private space for your session where you will not be interrupted or overheard, etc.

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