I have been working in the field of clinical psychology for over fifteen years, and worked in the UK National Health Service (NHS) for many years. Although Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and Parenting support are my main area of interest and experience, I have also worked with children and adults with learning disabilities, working age adults and older adults. I have gained considerable experience in a wide range of settings, including specialist mental health clinics, hospitals and community settings (children's centres, GP practices, care homes, a youth charity, schools). Over the course of my career I have worked with individuals experiencing difficulties ranging from very mild to extremely severe. As a result I have learnt to tailor my support and interventions to each individual client in order to best meet their needs.
I completed my undergraduate psychology degree at University College Dublin and, after spending some time travelling, secured a post in the Mater Child Guidance Clinic, Dublin, conducting the interviews for the Working Things Out programme. During this time I also completed the Foundation in Counselling and Psychotherapy Course at the Tivoli Institute, after which I moved to Scotland to complete my MSc in Psychology and Health at the University of Stirling. After graduating with distinction, I spent time working in London as an Assistant Clinical Psychologist (in Sure Start and at Great Ormond Street Hospital) before successfully applying to the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (D.Clin.Psych.) at Salomons, Canterbury Christ Church University. Post-qualification I worked in the NHS as a Clinical Psychologist until I returned to Ireland, where I have been working in private practice with children and families since 2013. I am recognised and validated as a clinical psychologist by the Irish Department of Health, and am a graduate member of the Psychological Society of Ireland.
Over the course of my career I have also been involved in developing and facilitating a number of groups. These include a support group for mothers with postnatal depression, a group for new dads, an anger management group for parents, an anxiety management group for older adults, and a range of evidence-based parenting groups to help parents to improve their relationships with their children and to feel more confident in their parenting ability. For teenagers I co-developed and facilitated an emotion management group, and contributed to a group run by a local youth charity to support vulnerable children with the transition to secondary school.
In addition to supervising Assistant Psychologists and Trainee Clinical Psychologists within the NHS, I have extensive experience in providing consultation, training and workshops related to child and adolescent mental health and parenting to a range of professionals working with young people (including GPs, nurses, midwives, psychologists, speech and language therapists, dietitians, family support workers, teachers and social workers).
As a psychologist, I believe that research is fundamental to informing good practice, and as a result have always taken a keen interest in this aspect of the job. I have conducted a number of clinically based research studies, the results of which have been used to inform service provision in a number of NHS trusts. Some of my research has been published in peer-reviewed journals in the area of clinical psychology (2008, 2010, 2012) and my research was also used as the basis for a book chapter on depression in young people (2004). My work has been presented at psychological and medical conferences in Ireland, the UK, France and the USA. I have written a number of articles for the Wicklow Voice newspaper as well as making contributions to a range of other Irish publications.
I completed my undergraduate psychology degree at University College Dublin and, after spending some time travelling, secured a post in the Mater Child Guidance Clinic, Dublin, conducting the interviews for the Working Things Out programme. During this time I also completed the Foundation in Counselling and Psychotherapy Course at the Tivoli Institute, after which I moved to Scotland to complete my MSc in Psychology and Health at the University of Stirling. After graduating with distinction, I spent time working in London as an Assistant Clinical Psychologist (in Sure Start and at Great Ormond Street Hospital) before successfully applying to the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (D.Clin.Psych.) at Salomons, Canterbury Christ Church University. Post-qualification I worked in the NHS as a Clinical Psychologist until I returned to Ireland, where I have been working in private practice with children and families since 2013. I am recognised and validated as a clinical psychologist by the Irish Department of Health, and am a graduate member of the Psychological Society of Ireland.
Over the course of my career I have also been involved in developing and facilitating a number of groups. These include a support group for mothers with postnatal depression, a group for new dads, an anger management group for parents, an anxiety management group for older adults, and a range of evidence-based parenting groups to help parents to improve their relationships with their children and to feel more confident in their parenting ability. For teenagers I co-developed and facilitated an emotion management group, and contributed to a group run by a local youth charity to support vulnerable children with the transition to secondary school.
In addition to supervising Assistant Psychologists and Trainee Clinical Psychologists within the NHS, I have extensive experience in providing consultation, training and workshops related to child and adolescent mental health and parenting to a range of professionals working with young people (including GPs, nurses, midwives, psychologists, speech and language therapists, dietitians, family support workers, teachers and social workers).
As a psychologist, I believe that research is fundamental to informing good practice, and as a result have always taken a keen interest in this aspect of the job. I have conducted a number of clinically based research studies, the results of which have been used to inform service provision in a number of NHS trusts. Some of my research has been published in peer-reviewed journals in the area of clinical psychology (2008, 2010, 2012) and my research was also used as the basis for a book chapter on depression in young people (2004). My work has been presented at psychological and medical conferences in Ireland, the UK, France and the USA. I have written a number of articles for the Wicklow Voice newspaper as well as making contributions to a range of other Irish publications.
