Roscommon woman helping people to find peace in the most vulnerable moments
Roscommon Town native Catherine Macklin works with patients at Roscommon Hospice.
For years Roscommon Town native Catherine Macklin was a successful accountant, tax consultant and business woman, but the pressures of work felt relentless at times.
“It nearly put me in the ground,” she admits. That constant stress took a toll on her health, pushing her to explore complementary therapies, psychology, and meditation as a way to cope.
What began as self-care soon grew into something more. Her life transformed in 2018 when she closed the door on the business for good and found her new calling - to help others find peace in times of fear, illness, and transition.
She is now qualified in several complementary therapies including reflexology, sound therapy, aromatherapy and intuitive energy healing. She has her own therapy rooms where she sees clients privately.
Today, Catherine, who lives in Mote Park, works as a complementary therapist for Mayo/Roscommon Hospice Foundation at Roscommon Hospice where her therapy room feels more like a sanctuary than a clinic.
She also sees palliative care patients in their homes at the request of the community palliative care team. The air carries the scent of essential oils, soft light radiates from giant salt lamps, and the gentle sounds of Tibetan bowls, Zaphir chimes, ocean drums, and a rain tower wash over the space.
She see patients either in her therapy room or in their room, settling into what she calls a “cocoon of peace.” She often sees patients for an hour at a time.
Some return two days in a row, drawn by the relief her sessions bring. “Patients don’t expect to immediately feel different but many are blown away by the peace they experience,” she says.
Her therapies are diverse yet always personal. Beyond techniques, she offers something harder to define - presence. She listens when words are needed, sits in silence when they are not, and meets each person exactly where they are.
Her work differs from traditional caregiving, connecting with patients on what she calls a ‘soul level’. Sometimes there is little or no conversation; instead, patients feel safe enough to share their deepest fears.
One young mother confided her fear of dying and leaving her children behind. She gently reassured her that love continues - that her children would still feel her presence. “She got such relief and she left with peace she hadn’t felt before,” she says.
She also extends her work to families. A family member of a patient lived with abdominal pain for four years. After one session of energy healing with Catherine, the pain never returned. “Our emotional state can cause suffering. Our thoughts and trauma live in the body and aura. When we clear that, healing begins,” Catherine says.
In another case, a young woman nearing the end of life attended a sound therapy session. She said her goodbyes, felt very relaxed and comfortable, and passed away peacefully the next day. “My work is deeply personal. It’s about helping people - and their families - find peace in the most vulnerable moments,” Catherine says.
In every session, she offers more than therapy. She offers presence, reassurance, and the possibility of peace. And in a world where so many are burdened by fear and pain, that may be the most healing gift of all.
