Liz Whelan, Counselling Service Coordinator
Liz Whelan is the Counselling Coordinator at An Cosan. She is an experienced and established Counsellor and Psychotherapist with over sixteen years’ experience in the field. There are 10 IACP Accredited Counsellors at An Cosan meeting clients on a weekly basis. Liz specialises in trauma, stress and anxiety management, bullying, sexual abuse and suicide prevention. Liz has a private practice in Bray, County Wicklow and is an affiliate counsellor for Towards Healing, EAP Consultants Care Call. She has worked extensively in the area of relationships, stress, anxiety, bullying, depression, panic attacks, trauma, sexual abuse, bereavement and separation issues. Liz has compiled a stress management course run at An Cosán which is being rolled out to companies experiencing stress difficulties in the workplace. Before her professional career in Counselling & Psychotherapy, Liz worked as a professional Singer with Musical Societies all over the country and is still passionate about musical theatre.
Sinéad Kelly, Education Programme Coordinator
Sinead Kelly has been the Education Programme Coordinator at An Cosán since 2010 where she leads out on the Women in Technology (WIT) programme. Sinead also delivers a range of QQI, ICT, Leadership and Social Networking programmes. Sinead is a strong advocate for marginalised groups and is active in bringing about social change. She has made numerous appearances on television, radio and at large corporate events, and has been identified by Silicon Republic as one of Ireland's Bright Sparks in STEM for the second year running. Sinead has worked in the areas of mental health and drug prevention and is extremely passionate about community education and its ability to transform individuals and communities. Sinead holds a BA in Leadership and Community Development and has completed a SPA in Transformative Education.
Elaine Vince O’Hara, Further Education Coordinator
Elaine has worked in the area of community development since 2003 and she is an advocate of
transformative community education. She has worked as a Back to Education Initiative Coordinator,
and Tutor of QQI programmes with a Women’s Development Group and Education and Training
Board coordinating, developing programmes of education for adult learners returning to education
in the community. She has experience working with a range of diverse community groups and
organisations including; Women’s Groups, Family Resource Centres, Schools, Addiction Support
Groups, Disability and Socially Diverse Groups. She has a BA Degree in Leadership & Community
Development, and qualifications in Training and Continuing Education, Addiction Studies, Special
Needs, and she is a registered member of the Teaching Council of Ireland. She is passionate
regarding encouraging and supporting learners to reach their full potential through participation in
education, towards empowerment, greater social inclusion, strengthening of communities, and
wider social change.
Eithne Dunne, Co-ordinator of Higher Education
programmes
A native of Tallaght, Eithne Dunne became interested in adult education and in particular adult
literacy when she completed a course in tutor training in adult literacy. She has gone on to complete
an online course in TEFL and TESOL training.
Eithne has personal experience of the difficulties adults face when returning to education having
returned to education herself as a mature student. She believes that second chance education
empowers people to improve not just their own lives but that of their families too.
Eithne started in An Cosán in 2006 as a student on the Certificate in Community Development and
progressed onto the BA Degree in Leadership and Community Development which she successfully
completed in 2014. During that time she volunteered in various classes including Basic English and
ESOL. Before taking on the role of Higher Education Co-Ordinator, Eithne worked as the Education
Facilitator for the QQI Level 6 Childcare programme and undertook a piece of research for An
Cosán’s Strategic Plan.
Bernie Coleman, Lifestart Coordinator
Bernie Coleman has worked in all areas of Early Education and Care throughout her long history working at An Cosán delivering a wide range of QQI Early Years Childcare programmes, acting as Parent Support Coordinator with Fledglings and coordinating The Lifestart Growing Child Programme. This evidence based programme is a free universal programme designed to educate and support parents of children from 0-3 years of age and delivered at home. Bernie recognizes the importance of parent and child relationships and supports families by providing practical parenting programmes. Bernie Coleman is also an IACP Accredited Counsellor and Psychotherapist and an active member of An Cosán’s counselling team.
