About Dr. Clara

As a Chartered Psychologist Clara’s expertise is at the intersection between Psychology, Education and Disability. She works with adults and teens and has a particular interest in working with Parents, Carers and Neurodivergent people .

My goal is to enable young people to realize their full potential through empowering, supporting and informing young people and their families.  My focus is on creating a safe and supportive space for you to be heard.

Dr. Clara is a Chartered Psychologist with the Psychology Society of Ireland, (PSI) and the British Psychology Society, (BPS). Dr. Clara is registered to use psychometric tests and listed on Register of Test Users, (RTQUK BPS). In addition she is Garda vetted and a registered teacher with Teaching Council of Ireland at primary and post-primary level.

Qualifications: PhD., M.Sc., M.ED., M.Phil., B.Sc., B.A., H.Dip.Ed.

My journey so far…

Dr. Clara has over 25 years of experience of working in disability and special education settings. Past experiences include work in residential settings for adults with Intellectual Disability, Special schools and alternative education provision settings for ‘at risk’ youths. She was an NCSE advisor, (Behavior and Well-being) for over 5 years. As well as experiencing additional needs from a professional perspective she has direct experience of being ‘on the other side of the table‘ as a parent, patient and client. Her personal experiences navigating her way through neurodivergence, physical disability, chronic illness and additional educational needs, deepened her understanding of how complex and frustrating this new world can seem to parents. Dr. Clara believes that access to practical, realistic and evidence based support is vital for both parents and teachers in order to support young people to maximize their potential. 

• Regional Advisor to Schools (Behavior and Wellbeing) -NBSS and National Council for Special Education
• Special Education Teacher – Multiple settings including Intellectual Disability, Complex needs, early school leavers and ‘at risk’ youth
• Lecturer (occasional)- I have designed and taught modules on Developmental Psychology, Educational Psychology and Inclusive Education for Hibernia College, St Nicholas Montessori college and UCC
• Former clients include: Tusla, Cork ETB, TTM Health, Down Syndrome Ireland, Down Syndrome Centre, Family Carers Ireland and Clare Education Centre.

Education and Training

Dr. Clara holds multiple degrees in Psychology and Education. Research interests include; special schools, stigma and labelling, language in school settings and teacher wellbeing. She was awarded a Department of Children and Youth Affairs Research Scholarship and has been published in a number of peer-reviewed journals and is cited regularly. As advocate of life long learning she has completed a variety of additional specialist training and integrates these approaches into her work.

• ADHD Parent coaching, Parents plus, Strength Switch, Emotion coaching, Neuroaffirming support for teens
• DBT (Dialetical Behaviour Therapy), Solution Focused Brief Therapy, CBT, (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), NonViolent Crisis Intervention & Therapeutic Crisis intervention, Creative therapeutic approaches, ACT, (Acceptance and Commitment therapy), Mindfulness and Self-Compassion and Compassion focused therapy
• Sexual Health Promotion, Sensory Processing, Alert program and Sleep Awareness
• Dyslexia Assessment and Intervention, Educational Testing and Assessment

As a Chartered Psychologist ongoing professional development and clinical supervison is an essential part of her professional practice.