PRAGUE PSYCHOLOGY SERVICE

About Me

I am originally from Dublin, Ireland. I have a First Class degree in psychology from Trinity College, Dublin and a Masters degree from University of Sydney Law School in Australia. I obtained my Doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Liverpool in the UK in 2011.

I have worked in a range of clinical settings (community, inpatient, forensic) and with clients of all age groups with a range of presenting problems. I spent several years working in Ireland after obtaining my Masters degree and prior to starting my doctorate. I spent some time doing research and clinical work in a community-based service for victims and perpetrators of child sexual abuse in Dublin. I then provided psychological services in both a community-based service and a residential institution for people with learning disabilities and developmental disorders such as autism.

I moved to the UK to do my clinical training, and was employed within the National Health Service there as a Senior Clinical Psychologist prior to relocating to Prague for personal reasons in 2013. Within the NHS, I worked in a Community Mental Health Team (a service providing mental health assistance to people with complex mental health problems). This involved delivering group and individual therapy to people over the age of 18 who were experiencing problems with depression, anxiety disorders, anger, psychosis, interpersonal problems and self-harm. I also worked in a community service for children aged 0 to 7 and their families, which involved running intensive mother-and-child parenting groups to promote attachment between mothers and their children, and providing support and advice to families, teachers and day care staff to help them manage emotional, behavioural and learning problems in children. I also carried out cognitive assessments with children to identify areas of weakness, and developed support plans for children with learning difficulties. I spent time working in a community service for adults with learning disabilities and, as part of this, provided assessment and direct group and individual psychological interventions to clients who were experiencing problems with anger, depression and relationships, as well as providing advice and support to families and care staff. I worked in a brain injury unit, which involved assessing cognitive and psychological needs in people who had suffered a traumatic brain injury and developing plans to help minimise the impact of their problems (e.g. coping strategies, memory and planning aids). Part of this role also involved working with families to help them understand and come to terms with their loved one’s injuries. I then spent several years working in Ashworth Hospital, a high secure service for high risk male offenders with mental illness and personality disorder. Within this role I developed and delivered group and individual interventions for people with severe mental health problems, sexual offending histories, self-harming behaviour and personality/interpersonal problems. I also devised treatment plans for clients who had experienced a traumatic brain injury and worked indirectly with staff and multidisciplinary colleagues.

I have published research internationally and maintain research links with University of Nottingham and Merseycare NHS Trust in the UK to continue research into the clinical needs of women whose partners have sexually abused a child. I have previously had academic and research links with University of Liverpool, University of Hertfordshire and University of Lancaster.

I am registered as a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society (BPS), the professional body for psychologists in the UK.

I am registered as a Clinical Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), the regulatory body for health professionals in the UK.

I am an Advanced Level Certified Schema Therapist and Supervisor registered with the International Society of Schema Therapists.

I am an accredited member of International Society of Schema Therapy (ISST), a registered psychotherapist with the Czech Association of Psychotherapy (ČAP) and a registered CBT therapist with the Czech Society of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (ČSKBT).