Qualifications/Background

My undergraduate studies commenced with completion of a Bachelor of Laws degree at University of Leeds in 1993. Having decided to become an EP, I returned to Leeds to complete a PGCE in Primary Education. I then moved to Belfast to take up a teaching post and completed a BSc in Psychology with the Open University in 1999, followed by the MSc in Developmental and Educational Psychology in 2001. I have been working as an EP in Northern Ireland since 2001. My interest in law was rekindled with an LLM in Human Rights Law at QUB in 2011. 

DECAP Responsibilities and Teaching

I have the role of Year 3 Tutor on the DECAP programme as well as providing professional and academic supervision to trainees across all year groups. I have supervised many trainee educational psychologists with completion of their professional doctorate theses. My teaching topics include: supporting children and young people with their social, emotional and behavioural wellbeing; active listening and counselling skills; eliciting the voice of the child and children’s rights; and how to deliver effective parent programmes. My responsibilities also include development of outreach and engagement activities for DECAP, liaising with our service user groups, and coordinating and supporting multi-agency placements and supervision arrangements for our trainees in Years 1 and 2. 

External Interests 

My key community involvement is supporting the implementation and coordination of evidence based parent programmes, working directly with the National Children’s Bureau in NI. Integral to being a certified Incredible Years® Mentor in NI, I provide consultation, supervision and training in positive behaviour management techniques to school staff, parents and children. I deliver parent group leader training workshops, implementation planning and fidelity training for managers, and evaluation and measurement training to a range of staff from statutory and voluntary organisations. Provision of consultation and supervision sessions to parent group leaders are included, as well as group leader accreditation within the suite of Incredible Years® parent programmes.  I am currently co-delivering the Incredible Years® Autism and Language Delay parent programme for the Public Health Agency across two health trust areas in NI. 

Professional Experience

During my career as an EP, I have carried out observations and assessments of children aged 2 – 19 with identified learning needs. I have provided psychological assessment reports for the Statutory Assessment process in accordance with the Code of Practice on Special Educational Needs. I have provided consultation, advice and support to special educational needs coordinators, school principals and school staff on all aspects of meeting children’s needs at all stages of the Code of Practice.  These consultations have concerned matters such as meeting individual pupils’ learning needs, promoting positive behaviour in children and young people and providing advice and strategies for inclusion on education plans when appropriate. I have delivered individual therapeutic interventions for children with a range of needs (eg. Selective Mutism, ADHD, ASD and challenging behaviour). I have provided regional Classroom Assistant Training in supporting children and young people with social, emotional and behavioural wellbeing needs and provided INSET training for school staff on a range of topics such as ADHD, Counselling skills, Nurture Groups, Understanding Children’s Behaviour, and ASD.

My role as a Senior (Specialist) EP for the Colin Integrated Development Fund (IDF) Project from 2007-2010 was instrumental in my career development. I supported the project manager responsible for ensuring all project targets and objectives were met in relation to all Incredible Years® and Nurture Group Activity. I delivered the suite of Incredible Years® teacher, parent and child intervention programmes. I provided support to 2 beginning nurture groups in West Belfast, including help and support with all aspects of delivering high quality nurture group provision; both nurture groups achieved their Quality Mark Award from the Nurture Group Network in May 2010. I organised four Incredible Years graduation ceremonies during the project where key speakers were invited, parents’ certificates were presented and transport and hospitality were included. I provided line management, supervision, organisation and coordination of all aspects of the duties of the Incredible Years Project Parent Workers from November 2008 - June 2010.

My specialist EP role continued with the Building New Communities through Positive Parenting and Reconciliation (BNCPPR) regional project from 2011-2013. I provided training and support to 76 teachers and nursery assistants across NI to ensure staff delivered an evidenced based parent programme with high quality and fidelity. I organised all training events, graduation ceremonies for parents and all project resources. I created the Incredible Years® Programme for Parents as a Level 2 Accreditation course with Open College Network NI. I liaised with partners, and was responsible for providing operational updates to all stakeholders. During this project, I gained my accreditation as an Incredible Years® Parent Group Leader, then Peer Coach, and became the first certified Incredible Years® Mentor in NI in 2013.

As an EP for over 21 years, I have supervised many trainee and early career EPs, a role I thoroughly enjoy!

Research and Scholarship

My research interests relate to my areas of specialist experience as outlined below.

O’Driscoll, D., & McAleese, M. (2022). The feasibility and effectiveness of compassionate mind training as a test anxiety intervention for adolescents: A preliminary investigation. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 22(2), 301-310.

O’Driscoll, D., & McAleese, M. (2022). The protective role of self-compassion on test anxiety among adolescents. Pastoral Care in Education, 1-14.

O'Driscoll, D., Percy, A., & McAleese, M. (2020). An acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)-based intervention for an adolescent experiencing anger difficulties. DECP Debate, (175), 32-38.

McAleese, M. & Nesbitt, A. (2018). The Incredible Years® Evaluation Report on the Autism Spectrum and Language Delays (IY-ASLD) Programme for Parents. Retrieved from http://www.incredibleyears.com/download/administrators/implementations/IY-ASLD-Programme-Report-MMcAleese-ANesbitt-May-2018.pdf

McAleese, M., & Duffy, J.,Team Around the School Project Evaluation Report (2015) EA SE Region. 

Editorial responsibility and contribution towards collation of all data in Devine, M. (2013) Building New Communities through Positive Parenting and Reconciliation Project, Final Evaluation Report, SEELB, 2013.

Contribution towards ‘Incredible Years and Nurture Group Services’ section of The Colin Integrated Development Fund Project : Year 3 Final Evaluation Report, SEELB and BDO Stoy Hayward, 2010. 

Contribution of SEELB section in Clarke, M., Futures Group Report : An Inter-Board Report on the future of Educational Psychology Services in N.I. 2006.