Qualifications/Background

I studied Psychology at QUB before completing a PGCE in Early Years Education at the University of Reading. Having taught in Early Years in London for 6 years, I returned to Queen's University to complete my Master’s in Educational, Child and Adolescent Psychology in 1998. I have been working as an Educational Psychologist since 1999, specialising in work with preschool-aged children. I joined the DECAP programme at QUB in 2017.

DECAP Responsibilities and Teaching

Professional reflexivity

Clinical Observational skills

Psycho-educational assessment of preschool children

Foundations of Attachment

Foundations of Autism

An introduction to Play Therapy

The development of play in young children

External Interests

HCPC Registered Educational and Child Psychologist 

BPS Chartered Educational Psychologist

Therapeutic Play Practitioner 

Research Interests

Research interests include attachment, social justice, and the impact of educational systems on children and young people. I also am interested in Discursive Psychology and the use of participatory methods of data collection.

I have chaired a working group of EPs tasked with producing guidance in relation to the assessment of children with attachment difficulties in school and have been the principal investigator on group research projects in relation to the experience of children who have incarcerated parents; the experience of key workers supporting refugee children when engaging with the education system in NI; and the experience of staff supporting the education of children in secure accommodation in NI.

I have also supervised individual doctoral research in the following areas:

• Parental discourses around the Northern Ireland Transfer Test,
• Social medial use of adolescents experiencing mild-moderate psychological distress.
• Using a Mosaic-Based approach to construct children’s understanding of safe space in school
• Perceptions of Video Interactive Guidance (VIG) as an intervention with parents who have experienced intimate partner violence, and with school-aged mothers,
• Perceptions of the use of Video Enhanced Reflective Practice (VERP) in training school-based counsellors

I am currently supervising projects involving pupil discourses around Dyslexia, Chronic pain and academic achievement in adolescents, and deferral of school start.