Since 2003, One in Four has been a listening ear. We have been a support, a refuge, a lifeline. We provide professional counselling to adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. For those difficult days in court, we can advocate for you. And we can help your family support you, by supporting them.

Here in One in Four, we also work with offenders. There are many supports for those who are in prison or on release, but we identified a gap with non-convicted offenders and rose to the challenge. Our sex-offender intervention programme is unique in its field, and we regularly speak about our work at conferences, both at home and internationally.

Historically, Ireland has not had a good reputation when it comes to supporting survivors of childhood sexual abuse, or delivering justice. Our first clients were survivors of clerical or institutional abuse. Nowadays most of our clients have been abused by a member of their own family, or by someone trusted in their community.

In One in Four, our vision is an Irish society where children are safe from the threat of sexual harm. Every single day we work towards this vision. It’s what drives us, what fuels us. Our therapists are highly trained, and have extensive experience working in the field of childhood sexual abuse. But the reality is, every single staff member is cloaked in kindness and empathy, and have the skillset to handle any situation as it is presented.

Claire Heery