6th Annual Conference
Weaving Presence, Humanity and Reflection into Care
5th March 2026 | 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM | Nano Nagle Place, Cork
2026 Conference
Our 2026 theme, Weaving Presence, Humanity and Reflection into Care, invited practitioners to pause, connect, and explore the values and purpose at the heart of their work. This was a one-day conference designed to nurture reflective practice, support wellbeing, and inspire new thinking for those working on the frontline.
This conference offered practitioners the opportunity to step back from the demands of frontline work and reflect on the values, mission, and purpose that underpin their practice.
Our Speakers
We were delighted to welcome three exceptional speakers who bring deep experience, humanity, and reflective wisdom to this year’s conference.
Mary Coughlin (Boston)
Workshop: Where Threads Meet: Weaving Presence into Practice Through the Möbius of Care
MS, NNP-NCC-E, Trauma Informed Professional™, Caritas Coach®, President & Founder of Caring Essentials Collaborative
Mary is internationally recognised for her pioneering work in trauma-informed developmental care, blending neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and human connection to reimagine how we care, lead, and heal.
Nicola Doherty (Belfast)
Workshop: Self and Systems, creating a scaffold of self-compassion
Nicola is a distinguished Clinical Psychologist and Visiting Professor at Ulster University, with an impressive career dedicated to advancing wellbeing in healthcare and social care settings. Nicola brings a wealth of expertise from her role as Lead Psychologist at the Regional Trauma Network within the Department of Health in Northern Ireland and previous roles in paediatric psychology and staff wellbeing initiatives.
Keith Ó Brolacháin (Cork)
Workshop: Caring for the Carer! Presence, Humanity and Care from the Inside Out
School Principal, Coach & Founder of Atlantic Breath and School Solutions
Keith draws on over fourteen years of educational leadership, combined with his expertise in breathwork and reflective practice. His work supports leaders and practitioners to restore calm, clarity, and sustainable wellbeing. He is currently completing PhD research exploring breathwork and sustainable leadership in Irish education.
Our Speakers
Mary Coughlin
Mary Coughlin, MS, NNP-NCC-E, Trauma Informed Professional™, Caritas Coach®, and President & Founder of Caring Essentials Collaborative. Mary is internationally recognised for her pioneering work in trauma-informed developmental care, blending neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and human connection to reimagine how we care, lead, and heal.
Keith Ó Brolacháin
Keith Ó Brolacháin is a school principal, coach, and founder of Atlantic Breath and School Solutions. With over fourteen years of leadership experience, he combines his background in education with his training as a breathwork facilitator to support school leaders in one of Ireland’s most demanding professions. Through breathwork and reflective practice, Keith helps principals and teachers cultivate calm, resilience, and sustainable wellbeing. A PhD candidate researching Breathwork and Sustainable Leadership in Irish Education, he is passionate about helping leaders reconnect with presence, belief, and humanity in their daily practice.
Nicola Doherty
Nicola Doherty,Lead Psychologist at Regional Trauma Network, Dept Of Health NI, DClinPsych PhD. Nicola is a distinguished Clinical Psychologist and Visiting Professor at Ulster University, with an impressive career dedicated to advancing wellbeing in healthcare and social care settings. Nicola brings a wealth of expertise from her role as Lead Psychologist at the Regional Trauma Network within the Department of Health in Northern Ireland and previous roles in paediatric psychology and staff wellbeing initiatives.
Attuned in Practice March 2025 Events
Over the course of March, we collaborated with colleagues in hospitals and clinical settings across Ireland and offered reflective writing workshops for clinician well-being.
Dr. Hilton Koppe an Australian GP and educator facilitated workshops and a book in hand play “Enduring Witness “. These aligned with our aim of creating spaces where frontline practitioners could pause, connect, and reflect on themselves in their work, their purpose, and their well-being.
Our events at Attuned in Practice are not just about professional development. They are about hope, joy, and sustaining ourselves and each other in work that can be emotionally demanding.
Here’s a glimpse of where the journey brought us, some of connections and meaningful conversations we had along the way:
📍 Cork – Reflective Writing Workshops at Cork University Hospital, where staff generously made space for pause and reflection.
📍 Limerick – A powerful performance of Enduring Witness and a reflective session with the Department of Nursing & Midwifery at University of Limerick — an afternoon of shared insight and deep connection.
📍 Belfast – A full-day conference at Crumlin Road Gaol in collaboration with the Regional Trauma Network, filled with energy, conversation, and hope.
📍 Dublin – Warm welcomes at The Rotunda and St James’s Hospital for reflective writing workshops with dedicated teams showing up for themselves and one another.
📍 Naas – A closing day rich with meaning — reflective writing and Enduring Witness brought thoughtful dialogue and community to Naas General Hospital.
Whether you’ve been with us since the beginning or are just discovering Attuned in Practice, we’re glad you’re here.
Together, we’re building a movement — one grounded in values, reflection, and community.
Please get in touch if you have any ideas for future events.
Thank you to Sheila Wayman for her thoughtful article in The Irish Times, featuring Dr. Hilton Koppe and his powerful work supporting doctors in processing trauma — and highlighting the contribution of our co-founder, Dr. Nicola O’Sullivan.
Click here to read more.
Fifth Annual Conference
Beginnings and Endings in Practice
Our fifth annual conference brought together frontline professionals from health, education, and social care for a day of reflection, connection, and shared learning at Nano Nagle Place.
The theme, Beginnings and Endings in Practice, invited attendees to pause from the demands of frontline work, reconnect with purpose, and explore how transitions shape both practice and wellbeing.
Keynote Speakers
- Prof. Nicola Doherty – Clinical Psychologist: “In a Ward Full of Broken Beds: Shaky Beginnings and Good Enough Endings”
- Dr. Tim Dartington – Writer & Social Researcher: “The Older Generation: Liability or Asset?”
- Siân Brown – Music Therapist: “Harmony of Transitions: Navigating the Rhythms of Birth, Death, and Rebirth in Music”
This was the fifth in a series of Attuned in Practice conferences, continuing our mission to create safe, supportive spaces for practitioners to sustain reflective and values-based practice.