​Welcome, are you feeling stuck in unhelpful cycles with food and eating? Maybe you find yourself turning to food for comfort after a long day, or eating quickly without noticing until you feel uncomfortably full. Perhaps you forget to eat when you’re busy or overwhelmed, only to end up overeating later. You might spend a lot of time thinking about “good” and “bad” foods, feeling frustrated at how much space these thoughts take up in your head. You might be quite hard on or critical of yourself, taking you away from enjoying things in the present, and more likely to cope through food later on.
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Many of the people I work with experience cycles of emotional eating, binge eating, restrictive rules around food and exercise, or using exercise to “earn” or “cancel out” meals. I help people slow down and understand what drives these cycles, find ways to break behavioural patterns, reconnect with what's important, and feel more grounded and accepting of themselves.
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Hi, I'm Orla Cogill, a BABCP accredited CBT Therapist, a pre-accredited EMDR therapist, and an Equine Assisted Services practitioner, ACCPH accredited.
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I work remotely online across Ireland, UK and internationally, as well as seeing clients in-person in Avoca, Co. Wicklow, Ireland.
Who I work with
I help people to make sense of their eating patterns, without shame or pressure.
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Many of the clients I work with are deep feelers, overthinkers, and sensitive to what happens around them. Their emotions may have been dismissed or criticised in the past, and over time they learnt to cope by analysing and trying to make sense of everything. On the outside, they keep it all together, but on the inside feel overwhelmed, exhausted, or disconnected.
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If this sounds familiar, you may have found the right place. A space where you can slow down, understand what's happening beneath the patterns, and begin to develop compassion for yourself and the ways you've learnt to cope.
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I support people who:
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Struggle with emotional eating, comfort eating, binge eating
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Forget to eat, or swing between not eating enough and overeating
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Feel exhausted by diets, food rules, or “good vs bad" thinking
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Use exercise to manage guilt or “make up for” eating
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Experience burnout, stress, anxiety, or self-criticism
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Are neurodivergent (diagnosed or self-identifying)
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Feel disconnected from their needs, body cues, or limits
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Want to explore current cycles as well as past experiences or trauma
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Want to break old cycles and understand themselves more deeply
A neurodivergent-informed approach to eating:
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I am a neurodivergent therapist and have a special interest in working with neurodivergent clients, especially those with ADHD (a diagnosis is not required). There is a strong overlap between ADHD, autism and eating difficulties and eating disorders.
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Experiences may include:
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Forgetting to eat until late in the day
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Not recognising hunger or fullness cues
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Using food to regulate emotional intensity or overwhelm
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Perfectionistic rules around food or exercise
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Feeling guilt or shame about eating
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Cycles of overeating, restricting, or compensating
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Sensory sensitivities to textures, tastes, or smells
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Low appetite, limited food interest, or only eating “safe foods”
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Fear of choking or vomiting
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Feeling disconnected from body signals or needs
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These patterns are an understandable response to stress, sensory needs, and attempts to regulate a neurodivergent nervous system.
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My therapeutic approach combines evidence-based therapy with an understanding of how food, emotion, and the nervous system are connected, especially for neurodivergent individuals.​​
I am accredited with the BABCP (member number: 00001002724).
I have completed EMDR training with EMDR Ireland and will be working towards accreditation in 2026.
I have completed training in Equine Facilitated Interactions with the Athena Herd Foundation.
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I am fully insured and work with adults remotely over video conferencing in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and internationally, or I can see clients in-person in Co Wicklow, Ireland.
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​For more information on the types of therapy and services that I offer, please follow the tabs below:
What I offer
Individual Therapy:
Work together 1:1 in-person or online to work towards your therapy goals, in a curious, and non-judgemental space.
Group therapy/ mindfulness:
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Being part of a supportive and engaging group. Groups are one offs, covering a specific topic, such as mindfulness skills or values, or they can run for 4-8 weeks as a therapeutic group.
Equine Assisted Services:
Individual equine assisted therapy sessions integrate the use of therapeutic skills and techniques, in the outdoors, with the interaction of the equines and nature.
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About me
I'm a neurodivergent therapist (late diagnosed ADHD), who resonates with the familiar cycles of overthinking, overdoing, and burning out. Learning to recognise these cycles, and better understand the drivers behind them, as well as developing more self-compassion, have been invaluable for me in my own understanding of how my brain works.
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I have always been drawn to nature and animals. I spend much of my time outdoors; hiking with my dog, and being around horses. I have been involved with horses since a young age and have had the privilege of experiencing the therapeutic power these amazing animals can have on us. I am a believer in the benefits of nature for our physical and mental wellbeing and think this is an important aid in therapeutic work.
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My experience
Over the past 8+ years, I have worked for a number of NHS services in the UK, working with adults with a range of mental health difficulties, including anxiety presentations, depressed mood, PTSD, and eating disorders.
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I have also worked for private organisations, supporting clients with work-related stress, burnout, self-esteem difficulties, anger and trauma.
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In the past year, I have been working in my private practice with clients in the UK and Ireland, as well as working part-time in an eating disorder service in Co. Dublin.​
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I work in an integrative way, meaning that I tailor the therapy to suit the individual, as there is no one size that fits all. I will listen and explore your experience from your perspective, from a place of warmth and curiosity.
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My approach draws mainly on CBT, ACT and EMDR. I have also trained in Equine Assisted Services, which is an alternative therapeutic option that appeals to many clients who have found that traditional therapy does not suit them. Please see the services tab more information on therapy types and Equine Assisted therapy.
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