Pieta House, The Centre for the Prevention of Self-Harm or Suicide officially opened it’s doors in January 2006. 5 years later, we have seen and helped nearly 4,000 people, and opened up two Outreach Centres, and two other Centres of Excellence in both Dublin and Limerick.
About 8 years ago, Joan Freeman, a practising psychologist, closed down her own counselling business and dedicated her time finding out how she could help people who were suicidal – what would be beneficial to them and help them get through their dark time. After three years of research, she opened up Pieta House in Lucan, Co. Dublin which quickly became a respected and recognised service for those who were suicidal. Having counselled many people in the past who were self-harming, Joan realised that this was a topic never discussed and rarely understood, and she decided to also help people with this debilitating issue.
In five years, Pieta House has grown to almost 40 therapists and admin staff, and the demand for our service hasn’t let up. In January 2011 we opened up two new Centres – one in Ballyfermot and one in Limerick. As 80% of our income comes from Fundraising Events, we rely heavily on the support and encouragement of our Volunteers and Friends of Pieta.
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