Katie completed her Professional Doctorate in Educational Psychology at University College Dublin. Her focus is to ensure that both the young person and his/her family are at the centre of her professional practice so that the young person’s strengths are recognised.

Katie obtained her B.Ed in Education and Psychology from Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. Passionate about working with children with additional needs, Katie completed a Graduate Certificate in Autism Studies in Mary Immaculate College and a Graduate Diploma in Special Education in Maynooth University. Prior to commencing her doctoral training, Katie worked as a teacher in both mainstream and special school settings, specifically with Autistic children with additional intellectual disabilities. Katie has also worked as a tutor of Autistic children.

Katie has experience in a range of settings, including HSE Children Disability services, the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) and a HSE Primary Care Child Psychology Service. Katie has worked with preschool, primary and post-primary aged children presenting with a wide range and complexity of need, with a wealth of experience in assessment.

Katie has also provided therapeutic interventions such as Solution Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Additionally Katie has facilitated a number of psychological parenting groups such as From Timid to Tiger.

Katie has worked as a fieldworker with Children’s School Lives, a longitudinal cohort study of primary schools in Ireland. She has also tutored on the National Training Programme for Special Needs Assistants delivered at University College Dublin. Her doctoral research explored the conceptualisation of attainment and use of attainment measures for pupils with moderate to profound intellectual disabilities.

Alongside her work with The Children’s Clinic, Katie is Senior Psychologist with the HSE, in the Gorey Children’s Disability Network Team.