Tracy completed her Professional Doctorate in Educational Psychology in University College Dublin. She has a strong interest in Autism, Literacy and mental health, and she enjoys working from a child and family centred, strengths-based approach.

Tracy studied in Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick, and obtained a First Class Honours Bachelor of Education in Education and Psychology degree, followed by a First Class Honours Graduate Certificate in Autism Studies.

Tracy gained a breadth of experience working with children before commencing her studies on the Professional Doctorate. She taught in a mainstream primary school for three years, and she took a special interest in supporting children with Additional Educational Needs and mental health challenges to overcome obstacles and reach their potentials and optimal wellbeing. She was passionate about creating positive student-teacher relationships and believed in the power of connection to maximise outcomes for children. Tracy also worked as a tutor with the Dyslexia Association of Ireland, a tutor of Autistic children and a volunteer in a summer camp for children and adults with a range of disabilities. As part of her Doctoral training, Tracy completed placements in the National Learning Network in a university setting, a HSE Child Disability Service, a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) and the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS).

Tracy has experience conducting cognitive, adaptive and diagnostic assessments and administering and scoring a range of social, emotional and behavioural screeners. Tracy has been involved in delivering therapeutic interventions grounded in the principles of CBT, positive behaviour support and family-based therapy.

Tracy’s Doctoral research involved the conduction of a Systematic Literature Review examining the impact of wellbeing interventions on the anxiety levels of children attending low-income schools, and an Empirical Journal Article focusing on the moderating factors on children’s anxiety development in middle childhood. For the Journal Article, she examined secondary data from the national longitudinal study titled ‘Children’s School Lives’ which is being carried out by a team of researchers in UCD.