/DERV-la/
| Mental Health Nurse | Breathwork Facilitator | Sound Healing Practitioner | Reiki Practitioner |
I am a mental health nurse with over 11 years’ experience supporting individuals through some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. Raised in the small countryside community of Ayle, County Tipperary, Ireland, and as the eldest of six in a large family, I naturally stepped into a caregiving role from a young age — learning early how to listen, hold space, and respond with compassion. This pull toward caring for others first led me into mental health nursing.
Throughout my career, I became deeply aware that while clinical approaches are invaluable, they do not always address the whole person. Many people can understand their experiences intellectually, yet still feel disconnected, dysregulated, or stuck in their bodies. This insight sparked my journey into complementary and somatic therapies.
I moved to Australia in 2022 with friends, and while working rurally as a nurse in Northern New South Wales, I became increasingly drawn to complementary, holistic and somatic practices — both for my own healing and professional growth. Having grown up around complementary and holistic therapies through my mother, this work felt like a natural return rather than a new beginning.
I am trained as an Oxygen Advantage Advanced Instructor, Anam Collective Breathwork Practitioner, Sound Healing Practitioner, and Reiki Practitioner. These practices allow me to support mental and emotional wellbeing through the body — helping regulate the nervous system, release stored stress and reconnect individuals with their capacity for healing.
Outside of my work, I’m deeply rooted in family, friends, connection, and the simple rituals that bring us back to ourselves. I love socialising and sharing meaningful moments with others, while also cherishing my own quiet space to reflect and recharge. Nature, movement, and a good laugh are all things that nourish me, and I try to weave these joys into everyday life wherever I can.
Education & Qualifications
2025
Anam Breathwork Facilitator Training -Sydney, NSW, Australia
2025
Level 1 & 2 Sound Healing Practitioner Training - Rainbow Sounds - Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia
2023
Oxygen Advantage Advanced Instructor Training - Sydney, NSW, Australia
2015-2019
BSc Psychiatric Nursing (Mental Health Nursing) Waterford Institute of Technology, Ireland
2014-2015
2024
Level 1 & 2 Reiki - Sydney, NSW, Australia
PLC in Nursing Studies - Nursing Theory & Practice – St. Ailbe’s, Tipperary, Ireland
My Why
Working for many years in acute, high-intensity mental health environments showed me how easily the nervous system can become overwhelmed by stress and constant vigilance. Over time, my body learned to live in survival mode, carrying tension long after my shifts ended.
I also bring my own lived experience of mental health challenges. I’m a deep feeler and an overthinker, and I’ve experienced periods of low mood, overwhelm, and burnout. I went through an extreme burnout myself, which showed up as depression, chronic fatigue, and a diminished sense of self-worth.
While therapy helped me make sense of my experiences, I realized that true healing also needed to be felt in the body. Through breathwork, sound healing, Reiki, and kinesiology, I learned how to release stored tension, regulate my nervous system, and gently move out of fight-or-flight. These practices taught me that the body often speaks louder than the mind — and that healing happens not just through insight, but through embodied awareness.
Through these experiences, I learned that healing is not just something we understand intellectually — it’s something we experience and embody. I also know what it’s like to hold things in, distract ourselves, and keep going while our bodies and minds carry the weight. Speaking our truth and using our voice brings relief, lightness, and freedom.
My mission is to hold a safe, supportive space where people can reconnect with themselves — their bodies, their breath, their inner wisdom — and explore healing in an embodied way.
More Than a Name
I feel deeply passionate about the name Orenda Folláine and the logo that accompanies it. I wanted to share its meaning with you, as it holds a special and profound significance for me, reflecting the energy, balance, and flow I hope to support in others through this work.
The word “Orenda” originates from the Iroquois culture, signifying a mystical force present in all living people, capable of creating profound change. It embodies the unseen energy that lies within each of us, empowering us to influence our lives and the world around us.
The Irish (Gaeilge) word “Folláin” translates to “well-being” - A state of balance, happiness health and harmony in the body, mind, spirit. When the word Folláin is combined with another word, its ending changes slightly to link the two words – Orenda Folláine - /oh-REN-dah/ /ful-AW-nyuh/
My intention is to share the essence of Orenda Folláine through the practices of breathwork, reiki and sound healing.
My logo beautifully weaves together three powerful symbols - the Celtic spiral, the Awen, and a wave — each carrying deep meaning.
The Celtic Spiral is one of the most ancient symbols, representing the cycles of life, growth, and the interconnectedness of all things. It also embodies the continous flow of energy through all living beings, encouraging us to evolve, change and reconnect with ourselves, leading us toward harmony.
The wave represents my love for the ocean and the endless energy it provides. The ocean has an incredible ability to heal and inspire. Just like waves flow and change, we also go through different stages in life. This symbol represents life's flows and reminds us to connect with nature to refresh our spirits.
Together, these three symbols, alongside Orenda Folláine, represent the flow of life, the balance and harmony of mind, body, and spirit, and the inner energy that nurtures healing, growth, and well-being — just as our three core practices of breathwork, sound, and Reiki work together to support the whole person.
The Awen is another celtic symbol, representing the mind, body and spirit. It symbolizes balance, equality and divine inspiration. It reminds us of the inner light that guides us on our path. In Orenda, the Awen takes the form of rays of sunshine.
What is Reiki?
Reiki is a gentle, complementary energy healing practice that supports relaxation, stress reduction, and overall wellbeing. It works by encouraging balance within the body and nervous system, helping to create a sense of calm and ease.
A Reiki session combines gentle, hands-on or hands-off energy work with therapeutic sound frequencies, creating a deeply nurturing experience. This approach can help release stress, clear energetic blockages, and restore harmony to the mind, body, and spirit. Reiki is non-invasive and allows the body’s natural healing processes to unfold at their own pace. Many people experience deep relaxation, grounding, or emotional release during a session, making it a supportive practice for both mental and emotional wellbeing.
What is Sound Healing?
Sound healing is an ancient, complementary practice that uses sound frequencies and vibration to support deep relaxation, stress release, and overall wellbeing. Used across many cultures for thousands of years, sound has long been recognised as a powerful tool for restoring balance within the body and mind.
In modern sound healing, instruments such as crystal singing bowls are used to guide the nervous system into calmer brainwave states, allowing the body to slow down and reset. The gentle vibrations travel through the body's tissues and fluids, helping to rebalance the body at a cellular level, soften tension, and support the release of emotional or energetic blocks. Sound healing is non-invasive and supports the body’s natural ability to restore harmony, making it a powerful complement to mental and physical health care.
What is Functional Breathing?
Functional breathing, as taught in the Oxygen Advantage® method developed by Patrick McKeown, focuses on restoring healthy, efficient breathing patterns to support physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. Many people breathe too fast, too much, or through the mouth, which can contribute to stress, anxiety, poor sleep, fatigue, and reduced concentration.
This approach emphasizes nasal breathing, reduced breathing volume, and breath control to improve oxygen delivery to the body and brain. By optimizing the body’s tolerance to carbon dioxide, functional breathing supports better oxygen uptake at a cellular level, helping regulate the nervous system and improve resilience to stress.
Functional breathing is gentle, evidence-based, and practical. It can support calmer breathing, improved sleep, increased energy, and a greater sense of balance — making it a powerful tool for nervous system regulation and overall wellbeing.
What is Somatic Breathwork?
Conscious Connected Breathwork (CCB) or Somatic Breathwork is a guided breathwork practice that uses continuous, circular breathing — without pausing between the inhale and exhale — to create a deep, embodied state of presence. This intentional breathing pattern encourages increased oxygen flow, nervous system activation, and a release of physical and emotional tension held in the body.
Unlike everyday breathing, CCB invites breath to become rhythmic, connected, and conscious. This helps bypass the thinking mind and access sensations, emotions, and energy stored in the body. It's like a workout for your body, mind & nervous system.
Conscious Connected Breathwork is not a substitute for medical or psychological treatment, but it can be a powerful complementary practice for emotional regulation, nervous system balance, and self-connection. It is offered in a supportive, trauma-informed environment where individual pacing, choice, and safety are prioritised.