Qualifications/Background

I studied Psychology at University College Dublin before completing a Master’s degree in Work and Organisational Psychology, in University of Limerick. I was awarded a research prize for my thesis exploring “The effect of long working hours on doctors’ cognitive functioning, clinical decision making, and stress levels in Irish hospitals” and was invited to join a team in Dublin City University as a research scholar to extend this area of research.

Following this, I worked abroad at a Special Needs School and Therapy Clinic as an assistant psychologist, furthering my interest in working with children and young people which led to completing the DECAP course in 2014.

I have been working as an HCPC registered educational psychologist since 2015, and I have been part of the DECAP team since September 2024.

In my role with the EA, I have a specialist post supporting the needs of young people with Social, Behavioural, Emotional and Wellbeing difficulties. Within this area of SBEW, I am particularly interested in, and experienced with, working with young people who have been impacted by trauma. I have completed Theraplay Level 1, Group Theraplay, and Level 1 Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy.

I also have a particular interest in working with children/young people who are seeking asylum or are refugee experienced. I was one of two lead practitioners that were responsible for establishing a school-based support service for those seeking asylum or who are refugee experienced and where trauma presents as a significant concern. This service, the School’s Trauma Advisory and Referral Service (STARS), was a multidisciplinary and joint service between the EA Educational Psychology Service and the EA Intercultural Education Service.

DECAP Responsibilities and Teaching

I am the Wellbeing co-ordinator for the DECAP Programme.

Teaching areas include:

• Social, Behavioural, Emotional and Wellbeing difficulties
• Adult Learning Models
• Group Process Consultation
• Impact of the online world on children and young people’s wellbeing.

Research Interests

Research interests include:

• Impact of trauma and how to support those impacted by trauma in education
• Nurture, particularly the use of nurture groups in post-primary education
• School belongingness
• Experiences of children and young people excluded from mainstream education and/or attending EOTAS
• Asylum seeking and refugee experienced children, young people and families
• The impact of social media on children and young people, the concept of ‘digital addiction’
• SBEW, supporting those with this SEN in education
• Using group consultation to support teaching staff and schools
• Evidence based best practice, including evaluation of services
• Adolescence, particularly effective use of therapeutic interventions including group-based interventions
• Adult learning and performance
• The organisational psychology of schools and their systems.