It can be heartbreaking but it's worth it. Helen O'Neill, who works as a clinical psychologist in the health centre in Enniscorthy, Co

Wexford, loves her job.

When children come in first they are shy and unwilling to talk. "You try to draw them out," she says.

"They are usually really nervous and a lot of the time they don't want to be there." The first few sessions are aimed at "getting to know them".

Her room is full of toys. It's painted yellow, a colour chosen by a nine-year-old client. The room is comfortable, with armchairs, books and space to play.

O'Neill usually sees about four young people a day, with each session lasting about one hour. The young person comes with the parents on the first visit. On following visits, the child goes in to see O'Neill along. In total she has a caseload of about 20.

"It's a lot to keep up with. You couldn't do any more than that. It's quite intense for that hour." There are case conferences, and she does parenting groups as well.

"Yes, it's heartbreaking when you realise what they have to cope with, but they (young people) are very resilient," says O'Neill.

"Meeting new people, working with them to solve their problems and seeing change happen is the best part of the job".

She sees "quite a lot of social problems. You can't really change everything, that's the biggest lesson to be learned, that you can only do so much. Once reality sinks in, that's the hardest part to come to terms with. Once you do, you are well on the way."

As well as their resilience, she says, "children are so funny - I have a great laugh with them. I really enjoy that part of it.

"The key ingredient is the quality of the relationship with the child. If you are not able to relate to the person, you're not going get anywhere.

"All the referrals from Enniscorthy would come to me," she explains. She sees children who have been sexually abused, physically abused, bereaved and children whose parents have separated.

She also sees children with behavioural problems, anxiety and depression. "Basically anything that can go wrong.

"You have to have good communication skills. You need to be quite flexible, you have to be able to adapt, working with families - you are trying to get around the tensions."

Yes, you have to be creative and inventive, she says. "Some children wouldn't be very verbal." Painting, puppetry, board games and books are all used to help the young person open up.

Teenagers are even more taciturn, she says. "A lot would be resistent to coming," she says. "It's very hard to get them to talk. I find it works if they feel it's their choice to come. You have to negotiate with them." Her day starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m.

Patience is another important quality. "It's very important that you go at the children's pace. You can't rush anybody."

O'Neill went to UCD after her Leaving Cert in Sancta Maria College, Tempelogue, Dublin, in 1988 and did a three-year BA degree in psychology.

After graduating, she worked in child-care, working in St John of God's Child and Family Centre in Tallaght for six months. She worked with pre-school children and an after-school group. The children came "from very difficult families, they had poor self-esteem, poor social skills".

She then went back to UCD to do a master's in applied psychology. In May 1995, she was appointed as a basic grade psychologist with the South Eastern Health Board, based in Enniscorthy. This year, sponsored by the health board, she finished a diploma in professional psychology (clinical), studying at the University of Ulster.

"It's like being a detective," she says. "You are trying to come up with ways of solving it, trying to pile all the information together and come up with a formulation." Part of the challenge is the child that is hard to engage with. But after a few sessions, she says, they start to open up. That gives you a sense of achievement. After six to eight sessions, they come around."