Dr Aileen O'Kane

I qualified as a medical doctor in University College Dublin in 1970 and practised medicine until the mid 90s. Life’s experience, personal and professional, brought me to the awareness that illness is a "dis-ease" of our whole being - body, mind and spirit. My own inner journey and search for a more holistic approach to health lead me to Ayurveda which I studied in the mid and late 90s in USA, London and India, and have been practising since 2000. In 2004 I also qualified as a Craniosacral Therapist. In 2006 I was introduced to and subsequently studied Emotional Freedom Technique and since then use this profound technique in my practice.

As part of my continual professional training, I have participated in many learning situations in the whole area of nutrition and the relationship between our gut and our health, or lack of health. Ayurveda has said for 5,000 years that all illness begins in the gut and science has now shown the link between leaky gut and autoimmune disease and other chronic inflammatory illnesses. Removing certain foods and toxins and addressing a leaky gut is for many a return to health.

HOW DO I WORK? To my practice I bring the background of my medical knowledge and the experience of these various modalities of healing. In my consultations I prescribe individualised dietary, detoxification and life style programmes and, where necessary, herbal remedies. And also I help those who come seeking guidance to explore the connection between their physical symptoms and their emotional/spiritual life. I often use craniosacral therapy to facilitate physical and emotional release, which hastens the healing process. Often clients come to see me for this therapy primarily. Now more and more I use EFT which may or may not be the primary therapy which clients are seeking. I also introduce my clients to various body awareness/relaxation techniques and, where this is acceptable, to meditation.

Clients come with different expectations regarding the therapies I practise and I always respect their wishes. My whole emphasis is in empowering clients on their own journey of self-healing and this always involves physical, emotional and spiritual components.

I believe our journey is one of coming home to self and expressing oneself in the freest and most truthful way possible - freeing oneself from old hurts, patterns of belief, addictions, conditioning etc. that no longer serves our uniqueness. It is a challenging journey but most rewarding especially when it allows us experience the greatest health that is possible for us as an individual. For so many of us it is illness that stops us in our path and forces us to begin to make healthier choices for ourselves on our journey of life. When people come to me I simply share the skills I have to help them on this journey.


I am a registered member of the Ayurvedic Practitioners Association - APA of the UK and the Craniosacral Therapy Association - CSTA of the UK



AYURVEDA:- Ayurveda is the ancient system of healing which originated in India more than 5,000 years ago. It is rooted in the principle that spirit, mind and body are inextricably linked. According to Ayurveda, each of us has a unique psycho/physiological body type which determines our individual traits and tendencies.

Many factors, internal and external, create balance or imbalance in our lives; our thoughts and emotions, our lifestyles and our diets, our relationships, the seasons etc. Ayurveda is an intelligent system which explains how these factors affect us and what we need to do to create balance and remain healthy. What is appropriate for each person is different depending on one's Constitution and imbalance. Ayurveda recognises that each individual is unique.
During an ayurvedic consultation a detailed history is taken and your constitution and imbalances are determined.  You will be given dietary, detoxification and lifestyle advice. Often ayurvedic herbal remedies will be prescribed. In many cases emotional factors which are contributing to imbalances will need to be addressed.
So why would you choose an Ayurvedic consultation? You may come because you want to discover you Constitution and you would like to know what to do to remain healthy. You may come with symptoms but no specific disease or you may be looking for help to treat a specific illness.

Ayurveda works well alongside conventional medicine. For many health problems it is sufficient on its own, as it brings the body into balance and allows for self-healing.


All diseases begin in the gut! The Father of modern medicine, Hippocrates, made this statement more than two thousand years ago. Ayurveda has taught this for 5,000 years and more. The more we learn with our modern scientific tools, the more we realise just how correct Hippocrates and Ayurveda were: all diseases do begin in the gut! Science has discovered, that about 90% of all cells and genetic material of the human body belongs to the gut flora - a mixture of various microbes which live inside our digestive tract. These same flora are responsible for 70-80% of our immune system. In reality your body is just a shell providing a habitat for this mass of micro-creatures living inside you; and their role in your health and physiology is monumental. Our modern world poses many dangers for human gut flora, and once it is damaged, the health of the whole body enters a downward slide towards disease.

An unhealthy gut contributes to a wide range of diseases including diabetes, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis and many other autoimmune diseases, chronic inflammatory bowel illnesses, autism spectrum disorder, depression and other psychological illnesses, chronic fatigue syndrome and many more chronic inflammatory illnesses.

Using the information coming from this modern research and other nutritional insights I now integrate this knowledge with the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda to bring even greater help to clients suffering from chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.


CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY:- Craniosacral Therapy (CST) is a profound healing form which assists the body's natural capacity for self-repair. Throughout life our bodies are subjected to physical and psychological trauma. If the trauma is significant it remains in our bodies as areas of contracted tissue, and this can present over time as physical or psychological symptoms.

CST helps to release these deeply held patterns of contraction in our tissues. CST is a gentle therapy which does not use any manipulation. Therapists use their hands to detect and release tensions by following subtle movements within the body.

During a session you, as the client, remain fully clothed and lying on a treatment table. You may experience internal movements in the tissues e.g. tingling, heat, pulsation etc. Your body may move spontaneously or you may experience emotional release, or a session may be very quiet and deeply relaxing. Once tensions begin to release there is generally an improved sense of well being.

All age groups from new-born to the very old can benefit from CST.




EFT is at the forefront of the new Healing Movement. The underlying principle of EFT is that with all emotional and physical problems there is a disruption in the body’s energy system.

EFT is a profoundly simple technique which involves tapping on certain energy points on the face and upper body while tuning into a specific problem – whether traumatic event, a phobia, physical pain, emotion etc.

This physical pressure on the energy points, while voicing the problem, works to clear the energy disruption from the body.

While EFT is a therapy taught and applied by professionals, it is easy to learn and use personally. It is a very empowering tool that can, over time, help shift long established patterns, beliefs, pains etc.

EFT is not an alternative to conventional therapy but can work alongside many forms of therapy and shift blocks that are preventing the body’s natural ability to heal.

I work in Armagh and conduct Workshops in various venues. Presently my topics are "An introduction to Ayurveda" and " Chronic Inflammatory Disease and the Gut Connection" and "Lifestyle Adjustments to Optimise and take Responsibility for our Own Health". The main venue is Tara Centre Omagh. I am available to conduct these workshops elsewhere.

Upcoming courses:-  

 "An Introduction to Ayurveda" - A workshop in 2 Parts given by Dr. Aileen O'Kane in The Tara Centre Omagh.  Tel: 028 8225 0024 https://taraomagh.com

Part 1: - Saturday 3^rd Feb 2024: 10 am - 4 pm

Part 2: - Saturday 10^th Feb 2024: 10 am - 4 pm

In these 2 days we will

• study the 3 basic Ayurvedic constitutions and help you to recognize yours
• explain the effects of foods, environment and life experiences on mind and body depending on one’s constitution
• help you to recognise the symptoms that are created when each constitution becomes imbalanced
• offer appropriate food and lifestyle changes for each constitution to attain balance. What is appropriate for each of us is different
• look at a core belief of Ayurveda “All illness begins in the Gut”, a core belief now backed by scientific research. Understanding this link, the concept of Agni (the digestive fire), leaky gut, the microbiome, the gut/brain axis etc. helps us understand a root cause of modern inflammatory illnesses and the need for promoting digestion and detoxification.
• Ayurveda and the Mind - we will look specifically at Mental and Spiritual dispositions as related to our different Constitutional types

The knowledge of Ayurveda is profound but simple. It puts a system on knowledge you already have.  It empowers you to make sound decisions for your health and wellbeing.