My name is Amita O'Toole.

I have studied Buddhism and psychotherapy to Masters level and I’ve been practising and studying Buddhism for over 25 years. For the past 15 years I have been combining these to create positive change in the lives of my clients.

My training

  • Masters-trained integrative psychotherapist
  • Registered clinical counsellor with the BA Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC)
  • Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MCBT) teacher
  • Five Tibetan Yogas facilitator

Bringing Buddhism and psychotherapy together

My MA research explored how Buddhism and psychotherapy can work together, specifically in the treatment of depression.

I was awarded a distinction and this work became the foundation of my book “The Buddhist Way Through Depression”.

Since then I’ve worked with clients from Bermuda to Australia on all kinds of issues:

  • anxiety
  • depression
  • low self-esteem
  • work or relationship stress
  • sexual abuse
  • addictions
  • life purpose
  • spiritual issues
  • life change (e.g. divorce, bereavement, emigration, serious illness or accident)
  • domestic violence
  • abusive relationships
  • rape
  • membership of a dysfunctional sangha, religious organisation or cult
  • forced marriage
  • political violence or persecution

I’ve found that using a range of psychotherapeutic techniques within a Buddhist framework allows my clients to move forward in therapy much more quickly and successfully than with Western techniques alone.

Contact me for a free initial consultation to find out whether this approach is right for you.