Co-Founder & Chair of TPI Board of Directors  

Kay Conroy co-founded Turning Point™ organisation in 1986, and Turning Point™ Institute (TPI) in 2001. Kay is currently the Chair of the TPI Board of Directors.

Kay trained as a nurse with The Queen Alexandra Nursing Corp, working initially in London. To advance her training and experience further, Kay travelled to work in Saudia Arabia and Malaysia. On her return to London, Kay qualified in Gestalt Therapy and Psychosynthesis, at London Institute of Psychotherapy. She developed her own psychotherapeutic practice, working extensively with people facing serious and life-threatening illnesses, cancer in particular. Kay trained in Thanatology with the Elisabeth Kubler Ross Foundation in the USA, working as a facilitator at Kubler Ross workshops in Ireland, UK and USA. Kay also became the owner and director of three nursing homes, two in London and one in Dundalk, catering for elderly patients and patients suffering terminal illness.

In 1986, Kay returned to Ireland and co-founded Turning Point™, with Mary Paula Walsh, in response to the absence of psychological support services for those experiencing bereavement, cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. Turning Point™ was the first organisation in Ireland to offer Humanistic and Integrative counselling and psychotherapy services. As the organisation grew and flourished, its’ reputation as a pioneer in its field spread. With Kay’s imaginative determination energetic ambition, Turning Point™ evolved into Turning Point™ Institute, a centre of excellence for Integrative Psychotherapy training encompassing educational, clinical practice, supervision and research. Turning Point™ Institute’s flagship programme, the MSc in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy, validated and awarded by University College Cork, now boasts 100+ post graduate students from both Ireland and Europe.

For over 30 years, Kay has been an active and esteemed member of Irish and European psychotherapy bodies. In recognition of her exceptional work in advancing psychotherapy studies and practice, Kay was awarded with a Fellowship from the European Association of Integrative Psychotherapy (EAIP). She was recently conferred with an Honorary Membership of the Irish Association of Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy (IAHIP) for her services to the organisation. Kay was appointed to the Board of St. Lukes Hospital, for a number of years, and has acted as a consultant to various other health, community and family organisations.