Supporting Wellbeing for Over 30 Years
For more than three decades, the Family Centre in Castlebar has been a cornerstone of emotional, psychological, and spiritual wellbeing in our community. We are dedicated to supporting individuals, couples, and families through a compassionate and professional range of services designed to promote resilience, growth, and connection.
Our Services Include:
Professional counselling
Family and relationship support
Bereavement and trauma support
Educational courses and wellbeing programmes
Spiritual direction and reflective workshops
Community events and training for professionals
Our mission is to create an inclusive space where people feel seen, supported, and empowered. We believe in fostering mental health, strengthening relationships, and building a community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
Recently, we carried out a comprehensive consultation process with staff, board members, funders, partner organisations, and the wider public to help guide our future direction. We are grateful to everyone who shared their insights, ideas, and priorities. Your feedback will play an important role as we continue to evolve and ensure our services remain responsive, accessible, and impactful.
Thank you for supporting the Family Centre and for helping us shape a positive path forward.
For over 30 years, the Family Centre has been at the heart of emotional, psychological, and spiritual wellbeing in the region. As we look to the future, we are reimagining how we serve individuals, families, and the wider community — and this includes exploring how we present ourselves to the world, including our name, our services, and the values that guide us.
IN THIS CURRENT SITUATION WITH COVID 19 THE FAMILY CENTRE IS OPENED FOR BUSINESS DESPITE THE CENTRE BEING CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC . DUE TO THE RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED ON GROUPS AND GATHERINGS WE HAVE CANCELLED ALL OUR COURSES UNTIL MAY. WE ARE OFFERING ON-GOING SUPPORT TOOUR CURRENT CLIENTS REMOTELY BY PHONE OR THROUGH ZOOM WHICH IS A SECURE VIDEO LINK. IF YOU ARE SEEKING COUNSELLING AND WOULD BE OPEN TO WORKING REMOTELY WE WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO HEAR FROM YOU ON 094 9025900. THIS PHONE IS ANSWERED DURING THE DAY AND CHECKED ON A REGULAR BASIS OUT OF HOURS.
Dealing with Covid 19 is a challenge to us all and we are well aware that many people may be feeling anxious, stressed or worried. If you would like to talk to someone please contact us on 094 902 5900 or email us on info@thefamilycentre.com. We have begun to develop some resources to support your wellbeing and promote resilienceduring these difficult times. These are available on our Facebook page@tfccastlebar or our website www.thefamilycentre.com or follow us on Instagram at @thefamilycentrecastlebar
Go dté sibh slán
Máire Ní Dhomhnaill Director
At the Family Centre we provide around 60 courses or educational opportunities annually. Some courses run for one session while others are over several weeks or months. We issue two brochures on our courses typically in January and September each year.
The purpose of our service providing these courses is to enable those who attend to enhance personal development and learning and to cope with the challenges of day to day life. We provide courses under five main headings, Personal Development, Family and Parenting, Bereavement and Loss, Professional Development and Faith and Spirituality.
At the Family Centre we provide around 60 courses or educational opportunities annually. Some courses run for one session while others are over several weeks or months. We issue two brochures on our courses typically in January and September each year.
The purpose of our service providing these courses is to enable those who attend to enhance personal development and learning and to cope with the challenges of day to day life. We provide courses under five main headings, Personal Development, Family and Parenting, Bereavement and Loss, Professional Development and Faith and Spirituality.
The Family Centre provides a professional counselling service. In a confidential, caring & healing environment, individual adults and couples are helped to cope with problems affecting their lives and their relationships. You are most welcome to contact the Centre for an appointment.
Counselling comes under the umbrella term “talking therapies”. It allows people to discuss their problems and difficult feelings they encounter in a safe, confidential and professional environment. It is a skilled & ethical relationship which enables clients to address these difficulties. The counsellor’s role is not to tell you what to do but to help you develop your own resources, to work towards a better understanding of the causes of your difficulties and to help you find better ways of coping. The counsellor may look to create a plan of action with you to help work toward personal growth.
Flourish offers an enjoyable & practical supportive service for adults who wish to explore new ways to meet people & develop new interests and hobbies. Choose from our range of Flourish programmes which offer you gentle and enjoyable ways to meet new people, link with new activities and interests in your area and learn important wellbeing tools like mindfulness. Find how Flourish can support you to make the most out of your life whatever phase of life you find yourself at. Rediscover yourself in lots of creative ways, have fun, meet other likeminded people and enhance your health and wellbeing with Flourish.
The death of somebody close to you is one of the most painful experiences of life. And while most people cope with the loss through the support of family and friends, for many others receiving some help from a person who is not connected with their own network of family or friends can assist in the bereavement process.
The levels of external bereavement support for people who could benefit from such varies from receiving such assistance either through; a trained bereavement support worker, a counsellor, or when the grief is particularly complex or very disruptive in a person’s life they may need to talk to their GP or work with a psychologist or psychiatrist. The Family Centre offers a free bereavement support service through a network of trained and skilled bereavement support workers across the region.
This service is available in Castlebar, Westport, Claremorris, Tuam and Headford.
The Mayo Suicide Bereavement Liaison Service (MSBLS) ensures that there is a coordinated county-wide response to support individuals, families & communities affected by a suicide. The Liaison Worker who is a professional counsellor, who provides this support.
The Liaison worker will meet the individual(s) involved in a place of their choosing and will inform them of services & supports, help them to access whatever supports best fit their needs and discuss any issue relating to the death. Each situation is so unique that the supports provided will be “tailor-made” for anybody using the service.
This support is available whether the death has been recent or occurred many years ago. The service is confidential, available for as long as is needed and is free of charge.
