Hi, I’m Gráinne Warren. I’m a Play and Creative Arts Therapist working with Neurodivergent children, young people, and their families, as well as offering parent support and clinical supervision for therapists.
My work is grounded in a neuroaffirming and trauma-informed lens, with a focus on understanding experience in context rather than changing who someone is. I work relationally, paying close attention to sensory experience, nervous system capacity, communication styles, and the wider systems shaping each person’s life.
As someone who is Neurodivergent myself, lived experience informs how I understand the therapy room. It doesn’t position me as the expert on anyone else’s experience, but it does mean I recognise some of the layers that can be present – masking, burnout, intensity, creativity, exhaustion, joy, and the complexity of navigating systems not built with you in mind.
Whether I’m working with a child in play therapy, sitting with parents as they reflect on what’s been unfolding, or holding space for therapists in supervision, my role is to create a space where honesty, nuance, and complexity can be held without pressure to simplify.
I received my Postgraduate Diploma in Play Therapy from The Academy of Play and Child Psychotherapy, awarded by the National University of Ireland, Galway in 2018. I am a member of PTIrl and on the Register of Play & Creative Arts Therapists. I also hold a postgraduate certificate in Creative Clinical Supervision awarded by PTUK.
I am fully accredited, insured, and Garda vetted. I engage in regular supervision and ongoing professional development as part of maintaining ethical and reflective practice.
Outside of work, I live in West Cork with my family. I’m often tending to my ever-growing collection of plants, drawn to good music and long conversations, or getting mildly competitive over a board game.
If this approach feels aligned, you’re welcome to explore the site further or reach out to arrange a session.
My Core Values
Neuroaffirming & Contextual
I approach Neurodivergence as a meaningful way of processing and being in the world. My work centres understanding experience within relationships, development, and systems, rather than isolating individuals from the contexts shaping them.
01
Relational Depth
I prioritise relationship over technique. Whether working with children, parents, or professionals, I value trust, honesty, and the capacity to sit with complexity without rushing to fix or simplify.
02
Power & Systems Awareness
I recognise that distress does not exist in isolation. Schools, families, institutions, and inherited frameworks shape experience. My work holds power dynamics, systemic barriers, and cultural narratives alongside individual stories.
03
Trauma & Nervous System Sensitivity
I work with an awareness of how nervous systems adapt under pressure. Safety, pacing, and capacity matter. I am attentive to burnout, masking, overwhelm, and the ways people survive within systems that do not always fit them.
04
Authenticity Without Performance
I am not interested in helping people perform acceptability. I am interested in creating spaces where authenticity can emerge without coercion, compliance, or pressure to conform.
05
Curiosity Over Certainty
I value reflection and questioning. Frameworks are useful, but they are not fixed truths. I approach practice with curiosity, humility, and a willingness to adapt what I’ve inherited.
06
Collaboration & Shared Meaning
Whether in therapy, supervision, or training, I work collaboratively. Insight emerges through dialogue, not authority. Together, we think, reflect, and shape practice in ways that feel grounded and responsive.
These values shape how I hold therapy rooms, supervision spaces, and professional learning environments. They are not slogans, but ongoing commitments that continue to evolve alongside the work.
