Caroline McGuigan is an Irish psychotherapist, mental health advocate, activist, and group facilitator.
She trained as a psychotherapist and earned a Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy from Trinity College Dublin in 2001.
Alongside her clinical work, she has shared her expertise as a tutor at Maynooth University.
Founding Suicide or Survive (SOS)
In 2003, McGuigan founded the national charity Suicide or Survive (SOS) right at her kitchen table.
She envisioned a collaborative approach to mental health, focused on putting power back in the hands of the individual and providing them with educational tools to drive their own recovery and build resilience.
Through the organization, she created the Eden Programme and helped facilitate community support initiatives, recovery workshops, and workplace mental health training.
In recognition of her impactful work, she received a Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Level 1 Award in 2006, followed by a Level 2 Award in 2007.
Advocacy and Media Presence
McGuigan is recognized as an Advanced WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) facilitator and is a prominent voice for cultural change regarding mental health in Ireland.
Between 2008 and 2012, she served as a member of Amnesty International's Experts by Experience Advisory Group, helping to advise the organization on its mental health campaigns.
Her advocacy work has included public speaking engagements in schools and workplaces across the country to reduce stigma and encourage open conversations.
She has also appeared in a national social marketing campaign on billboards and newspapers, and featured in the 2009 documentary I See a Darkness.
She recently appeared as a featured guest on the Aran Island Discs podcast.