About Me


I have been working full time as a Clinical Psychologist & Family Therapist for the past 30 years, having completed my post-graduate training in the US and in Ireland. ​ 
​
Primary Posts:
  • Appointed Clinical Director of the Cork Marriage Counseling Center in 1990 and worked there until 2018, During that time I supervised and trained professional marriage therapists and counselors; provided couples, child, and family therapy for hundreds of clients; set up the Cork Domestic Violence Project; and played a role in the development of counselling agencies in Ireland at a national level.    My clinical expertise was forged and honed over these 30 years working daily with a range of clients while supervising the work of 10-15 staff therapists who dealt daily with the suffering and anguish of life in all its forms.  
  • Lecturer in Counseling Theory & Practice and a Clinical Supervisor of students on the Masters in Counseling program at UCC Dept of Psychology from 1991-1995 approx.
  • Director of the OLR Counseling Center in Chicago from 1986 to 1990 including being school counselor at two Chicago schools.
  • Staff psychotherapist at Lutheran General Hospital Chicago from 1984 to 1987.
  • Since 2018, I conduct a small private practice as marriage, family, and child therapist,.

Primary Qualifications & Training:
  • My graduate and post-graduate education took place in the US and Ireland from 1977 to 1998. 
  • Ireland:
  • BA Degree in Honours Psychology (UCC, 1977-1980).  This was an intensive induction and core training in psychology as a behavioural science.
  • Masters Degrees in Applied Psychology (UCC) 1982-1984 was in Clinical Specialistion which included site training at the Lavanagh Centre and a city GP general practice,  advanced courses in clinical psychology., training in experiential therapy under Dr. Maria Huss, and the completion of a dissertation on 'The role of clinical psychology in general practice' under the guidance of Dr. Elizabeth Dunne & Dr. Bill Shannon (GP) at UCC..
  • Two years training in Gestalt Therapy with Irish Gestalt Centre 1992-1994 with Hank O'Mahony and Jill England and provided me with intensive experiential training in psychotherapeutic practice.
  • Completed countless workshops, seminars, and courses in the US and in Ireland on a range of psychological and mental health issues.
  • United States:
  • Loyola University Pastoral Counselling Course 1984-1985:  One year of courses and training in Gerard Egan's Helping Skills at the Loyola University Lake Shore campus in Chicago under the mentoring of Dr. Rich McGourty (clinical psychologist)..
  • Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology (Illinois School of Professional Psychology, Chicago, USA) 1986-1988 This was at an American Psychological Association approved school and focused on psychometric testing, psychological assessments, marital/family therapy, psychopathology, research methods, and included a dissertation project on 'The health-care cost crisis in the US: The cost-effectiveness of psychological intervention in medical settings" under Dr. James McHolland (research) and Dr. Marc Lubin (clinical supervision)..
  • Graduate of 3-year full-time Psychotherapy Training Internship at Lutheran General Hospital, Chicago, USA 1985-1988 . This provided intensive,  supervised practice in advanced psychotherapy over 3 years in a multi-disciplinary out-patient psychoanalytically oriented and pastoral psychotherapy center at the hospital.. These 3 years were intensive professional practice with on-site supervision with Dr. Carl Fagan (psychiatrist); Dr. Cotton Fite (psychologist), Dr. Carl Schneider (MFT mediator), Dr. James Shackleford (clinical psychologist), Dr. B Niswander (psychoanalyst), and Dr. Louise Foy (pastoral psychotherapist).
  • Psy.D degree in Clinical Psychology (California Southern University, CA, USA) 1994-1998.  This  was a 4-year  doctoral degree that met the educational requirements of the state's Board of Psychology for licensure as both a clinical psychologist and a marital/family therapist in the US and included a research dissertation project entitled  'A Classification & Typology of Marital Types".. 
  • Graduate of Gracewell Clinic Internship Training in Treatment of Adult Child Sex Offenders 1992 was the unique specialized intervention and training centre of Dr. Ray Wyre and his staff at the Gracewell Clinic in Birmingham as training for work with sex offenders..

Professional Bodies:
  • Registered Clinical Psychologist with Psychological Society of Ireland since 1990.
  • Registered Family Therapist and Supervisor with Family Therapy Association of Ireland from 1992-2022, now retired.
  • Member of the European Association of Psychotherapists for appox 15 years via Family Therapy Association of Ireland..
  • Affiliate member of American Psychological Association for number of years via Psychological Society of Ireland.

Initiatives:
  • I was founder and director of the Cork Domestic Violence Project from 1992-1997 and set up the first treatment programme for violent men in Ireland.   Inspired by the Duluth Programme in the US this unique model involved intensive interagency work with offenders and female victims and received funding from Atlantic Philanthropies for 4 years as a ground-breaking programme that trained mental health professionals around Ireland.
  • I worked for many years with adult sex offenders having trained at the Gracewell Clinic for Sex Offenders in Birmingham in 1992.  
  • I was national coordinator in developing counselling standards and practice for counselling agencies in Ireland for the Dept of Community & Family Affairs from 2004-2007 approx..
  • I was co-founder of the Association of Agency Based Counselling in Ireland in 2009 which we set up to accredit agency based practice in Ireland.
  • I was nominated to serve on the Board of Directors of the Family Support Agency by consecutive government ministers for a period of eight years from 2004.

Writing:
  • I have written three books published by Gill & McMillan titled as follows:
  • 'The Courage To Be Happy' (2010)  which summarizes research and findings on happiness and well-being.
  • 'The Courage To Love' (2012), which outlines the main issues affecting couples relationships.
  • 'The Awakening' (2015) which is a poetic account of the role of imagination and enchantment in psychological life.
  • I wrote over 500 articles on Family Psychology in the Cork Evening Echo newspaper from 2008 to 2020  some of which are archived on this site.

Professional activities:
  • I have presented hundreds of workshops and seminars over the years on a variety of topics such as  marital & couples therapy, family therapy, domestic abuse and violence, happiness & well-being, human imagination, professional self-care, etc.  I was a keynote speaker at many organizations conferences such as Tabor Lodge, Accord, Cura, Relate (UK),  HSE, Women's Aid, Fingal Counselling Services, Castlebar Family Centre, Psychological Society of Ireland, Family Therapy Association of Ireland, Boyle Family Centre, Association of Agency Based Counselling in Ireland, Cork Family Law Association, etc
  • I completed a significant research project for the Family Support Agency at the Department of Community & Family Affairs in 2008 on marital breakdown in Ireland.
  • I was nominated to serve on the Board of Directors of the Family Support Agency by consecutive government ministers for a period of eight years from 2004 - 2012.  
  • I have appeared on National Radio and TV including RTE's Prime Time as well as many radio appearances on the shows of the late Marian Finucane as well as Ryan Tubridy, Brendan O'Connor, Pat Kenny, Miriam O'Callaghan, etc.  

Personal interests:
In my personal time, I have a love of writing, art, sport, poetry, personal development, and everyday philosophy.