NECOA Irish Midlands | Smithsfield Clinic

Dr Alison Stapleton

B.A. (Hons.) Psych., Ph.D., Cert. Adv. ACT & MBI, Prof. Dip. CBT, C. Psychol. Ps.S.I.

Dr Alison Stapleton is a Chartered Psychologist of the Psychological Society of Ireland, Postdoctoral Fellow at University College Dublin, and a Lecturer in Psychology at Dublin Business School. Alison coordinates the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS) Neurodiversity-Affirming Research and Practice Special Interest Group, serves on the ACBS Board of Directors (basic science Member at Large), and currently works at Smithsfield Clinic, a leading provider of acceptance and commitment therapy and training in Ireland. Alison regularly delivers national and international level trainings, and has experience working in psychological services to identify, accommodate, and support a range of neurotypes. Alison has published two book chapters and 14 scientific articles, most recently contributing to The Oxford Handbook of ACT and a systematic review of adults’ experiences of being identified as autistic in adulthood.

For more information see here https://linktr.ee/DrAlisonStapleton

Dr Kelly Larkin

Chartered Behavioural Psychologist and Board Certified Behaviour Analyst

Dr Larkin, a Chartered Behavioural Psychologist (Ps.S.I.), is certified with the Behaviour Analyst Certification Board and graduated from Maynooth University with a Doctorate in Psychological Science (Behaviour Analysis and Therapy) in 2014.

She has extensive experience of Behaviour Analysis in a range of clinical settings. She has also worked with both pre-school-, and school-aged children with autism, assessing skills and deficits and helping to develop and support skills such as communication, receptive language, visual perception, imitation, etc. Furthermore, she has worked directly with children as a tutor in a classroom setting, managed a small team of tutors as a class teacher and has designed and implemented behaviour support plans. Dr Larkin also worked in the Ontario Autism Programme, Toronto, supporting children (aged 3-18) and their families by designing and implementing behaviour support strategies.

Dr Larkin currently works with adults with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) living in residential settings. She works with staff teams to support people with ID to live meaningful lives and to be part of their own communities. She is particularly interested in disseminating behaviour analysis work and has presented her doctoral thesis and case studies at conferences such as Division of Behaviour Analysis (DBA) and Ontario ABA (ONTABA).

In Smithsfield Clinic, she provides behaviour support to individuals and families.

Dr Sarah Cassidy

Founder and Director of Clinic Services

Dr Sarah Cassidy is an Educational, Child and Adolescent Psychologist and a peer-reviewed ACT Trainer. She is a Chartered Psychologist with the Psychological Society Of Ireland (PSI) as well as a serving Council Member of the PSI. She is also in the Division of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychologists with the American Psychological Association.

She is the Founder and Director of Smithsfield Clinic, a private Community Mental Health Service in Athboy, County Meath where she has offered neuro-affirmative psycho-educational, neurodevelopmental, and emotional/behavioural assessments and treatment for all ages of children, adolescents, and young adults and their families for over 2 decades now.

She is also the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the New England Centre for OCD & Anxiety, Ireland Branch (with Dr Lisa Coyne) which is a highly specialised assessment and treatment centre for those experiencing anxiety ranging from everyday anxiety to very severe and treatment-resistant anxiety and OCD. This service employs ACT (+ERP) and RFT principles in all interventions. Dr Cassidy is also the Co-Founder and Chief Education Officer at RaiseYourIQ.com which is a behavioural educational technological research company that came directly out of her doctoral research at Maynooth University (with Professor Bryan Roche) which continues to conduct cutting-edge behaviour analytic research nationally and internationally to evaluate how children learn best and to maximise their learning potential using Relational Frame Theory interventions and which is now widely known as SMART (strengthening mental abilities with relational training). Dr Cassidy is the former Chairperson of the Association for Contextual Behavioural Science Membership Committee and continues to serve on this and many other committees and SIGS within this organization, including being a member of the Steering Group for the Neurodiversity-Affirming Research and Practice Special Interest Group.

She has been a Lecturer in Child, Educational and Counselling Psychology at Maynooth University as well as a mentor and trainer to professional psychologists and behaviour analysts, ACT therapists and specialist teachers on multiple university programs and professional courses in Ireland and abroad for the last 15 years+. She regularly is invited to be a peer reviewer and guest editor for scientific journal articles and books. She is a clinical consultant on several professional boards and companies at senior management level including Compassionate Behavior Analysis and Reach Children Services both offering neuroaffirmative and compassionate behaviour analytic assessment and therapies.

Dr Cassidy has also designed a children’s mental health program, called MAGPIES, which is now being used in clinics all over the world to support children in learning how to build emotional regulation skills, build self and other awareness skills, increase self-esteem and to learn to cope with anxiety. She continues to conduct research nationally and internationally on this programme to improve mental health outcomes for children.

She has recently co-authored Tired of Anxiety; A Kid’s Guide to Befriending Scary Thoughts and Living your Life Anyway (which has recently been featured on several radio shows and popular podcasts) and Tired of Teen Anxiety; A Young Person’s Guide to Discovering Your Best Life and Becoming your Best Self. There are 3 more books in this series on the way. Dr Cassidy is best known for her ability to break down scientific principles into bite-sized pieces such that they can be understood by broader audiences, including children, adolescents, and those outside of the scientific community. She is passionate about building bridges, neuroaffirmative practice, and equitable access to evidence-based science.

Lisanne O’Loughlin

B.Sc. (Hons.) Psych., MIACP, Cert. Adv. ACT & MBI

Lisanne has over 12 years of wide clinical experience working as a psychotherapist with children and adults through both online and individual in-person therapy. She provides a non-judgmental, authentic, and compassionate stance to help clients experiment with making changes and moving in a direction that matters to them.

Lisanne specialises in treating Trauma, OCD, anxiety, and depression, including post-natal depression. She also works with relationship difficulties, life transitions, and stress behaviours.

Lisanne’s primary approach is using ACT to help people handle unwanted thoughts, feelings, and situations. She combines ACT with ERP (Exposure-Response Prevention) in the treatment of OCD and anxiety. Lisanne’s interest in these areas has led her to facilitate an OCD Ireland support group for 13 years, and serve on the child protection committee for 4 years.

Lisanne is a fully accredited member of IACP (Irish Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists; MIACP) and a member of ACBS (Association of Contextual Behavioral Science). Lisanne spent 14 years living and working overseas with Aid Agencies in different countries in Africa, and 3 years with an aid agency in Ireland. She also holds an Advanced Diploma in Development Management.

Mr Keith Cregan

Clinical Consultant

Keith Cregan, BCL with German, HDip Psych, MSc Applied Psych, Dip. CBT, Graduate Member of the Psychological Society of Ireland, is a Clinical Consultant at Smithsfield Clinic.

Joanne Collier

MSc

Joanne graduated from NUI Galway with a Masters in Applied Behaviour Analysis in 2008 and was certified with the Behaviour Analyst Certification Board the following year. She has over 20 years experience of Behaviour Analysis in a range of clinical settings with children and teenagers. She has worked on multidisciplinary teams which involved liaising schools, home, as well as with other clinicians to provide in-home positive behaviour support along with parent and staff training. Joanne is currently involved in the delivery of MAGPIES group therapy sessions and the Book Club for teenagers. She also provides assessment and therapy through our NECOA service.

Dr Heidi Eilers

PhD, BCBA-D, CTP

Dr. Eilers received her doctorate in Behavior Analysis from the University of Nevada, Reno. She has 25 years of experience working with a variety of populations including children and adults with developmental disabilities, severe behavior problems, mental health, brain injury, and gerontology. Dr. Eilers has also worked as an Organizational Behavior Management Consultant to several organizations. Dr. Eilers has contributed to research and conceptual/theoretical analyses in diverse areas, including sexual assault and prevention, domestic violence, family court, psychoneuroimmunology, modified functional analyses, non-contingent reinforcement, learning assessments, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, complexity theory, and Interbehaviorism. Her areas of expertise include domestic violence, post-separation abuse, trauma, Relational Frame Theory and Acceptance and Commitment Training.

Mr Jack Finlayson

Intern

Mr Jack Finlayson is an intern at Smithsfield Clinic who is currently completing a QQI 5 in Applied Psychology with Dunboyne College Of Further Education. Jack assists with the delivery of our MAGPIES Acceptance And Commitment Therapy groups and hopes to continue his studies in Psychology and become a Psychologist one day.

Mr Jack Hilliard

Intern

Mr Jack Hilliard is an intern at Smithsfield Clinic who holds a First Class Honours Degree in Psychology from Maynooth University. He is currently studying for a Master’s degree in Psychological Science from University College Dublin. Jack has previously worked as a Research Assistant as part of the STEM Passport for Inclusion project at the Assisted Living & Learning (ALL) Institute where he has 2 papers in preparation for publication. Jack has also been a Postgraduate Lab Demonstrator at UCD, teaching undergraduate students research skills. Currently, Jack is a Crisis Volunteer at Text About It: 50808 where he supports texters in distress. Jack is a member of the Psychological Society of Ireland’s Student Affairs Group where he serves as the Conference Liaison Officer.

At Smithsfield Clinic, Jack helps to run the MAGPIES social and emotional skills groups for children with a wide range of mental health and behavioural difficulties. Jack is currently undertaking the Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) Foundations for OCD course and updates the clinic’s information packs.

Ms Niamh Gaynor

MSc, Assistant Psychologist

Ms Gaynor (she/her) is an Assistant Psychologist working with both Smithsfield Clinic and our specialist NECOA service. She has a BSc in Psychology and MSc in Psychology & Wellbeing; both from Dublin City University. She has been volunteering with a crisis line for the past two years, and her research interests to date have centered around mind-wandering and how it may relate to psychological wellbeing. Niamh has worked in Smithsfield Clinic since August 2022, and assists in assessment, report-writing, the delivery of MAGPIES group therapy sessions and other administrative tasks. She also provides assessment and therapy through our NECOA service, and lectures in Psychology part-time in Maynooth University.

Ms JJ Luz Macabacyao

Intern

Ms Macabacyao holds a BSc Psychology degree from Maynooth University and will be pursuing a Master’s degree in Psychological Science from the University of College Dublin. She conducted her work placement at Smithsfield Clinic and has assisted in the running of two art club projects for children and teenagers with anxiety (in 2021, 2023), the delivery of virtual reality (VR) therapy, writing reports, scoring of assessment checklists, and creating information packs about the clinic’s commonly seen intellectual, psychological, and behavioural difficulties.

Ms Eimear Grant

MSc, Assistant Psychologist

Ms Grant is an assistant psychologist at Smithsfield, with an MSc in Psychological Studies from the University of Glasgow. Eimear’s journey in psychology started with her early work as a children’s support worker, assisting children with social, emotional, and behavioural differences. She developed a profound appreciation for the transformative power of psychological interventions. Eimear subsequently became an early years supervisor for an additional needs program, gaining valuable insights into supporting young children with diverse learning requirements. Eimear’s dedication to both psychology and education led her work as a Social Science Lecturer, inspiring students to explore human behaviour and psychological principles. Prior to joining the team at Smithsfield Clinic in 2022, Eimear worked as a Family Support Practitioner, providing individualised support for children and teenagers, using the principles of CBT.

With Smithsfield Clinic, Eimear assists in assessments, scoring and interpreting measures, report-writing, and other administrative tasks. She is undertaking further training to enhance her skills and hopes to pursue a Doctorate in Educational and Child Applied Psychology.

Ms Amy Russell

MSc, Assistant Psychologist

Ms Russell is an Assistant Psychologist at Smithsfield clinic who graduated from Dublin City University with a First Class Honours Degree in Psychology. She then went on to receive a First Class Honours Masters Degree in Psychology and Wellbeing in Dublin City University.

Amy also received a distinction in ‘Train the Trainer’ with the Open College.
Amy previously worked in an Applied Behavioural Analysis school for children with Autism, ABACAS, Kilbarrack where she was an ABA Tutor. She previously chaired a society in DCU for two years which provided art, drama and dancing classes for adults with intellectual disabilities. Amy is currently volunteering as a social skills coach with PEERS Ireland™. She also works as a home tutor for a child with Autism. Amy co-founded ‘Upside’ an online initiative which provided learning videos to vulnerable people out of education due to COVID-19. Amy’s article has been accepted for publication in the Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders which will be released later this year.

In Smithsfield Clinic she assists in assessment, scoring and interpreting measures, report writing, delivery of a pilot-based ACT intervention and therapy with clients. Amy is also the Intake Co-ordinator for the clinic and liaises with clients and undertakes administration tasks.

Ms Gail Nunes

Licensed Mental Health Counselor

Gail is a part-time clinician at New England Center for OCD and Anxiety, where she works with young children, adolescents, adults, and parents. Gail has received training in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), Neurobiology, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Trauma based therapy, Sensory-motor therapy, play based therapy, social pragmatics and Mindfulness Training.

Gail received her counseling degree from Lesley University and then went on to study leadership and policy at Harvard University where she earned a Conant Fellowship. For nearly three decades, Gail had worked in both private day and public schools. She began her school career as the liaison to Head Start programs from the Special Start program in the Cambridge Public Schools. Later she was invited to be the School Social Worker in an elementary school in Cambridge and retired from that position several years ago. While there, she provided support for individual students, families and teachers in social emotional growth and development as well as individual and group counseling. She also supported administrators on how to create effective plans that increased students’ self regulation skills, making discipline a positive experience.

In addition, she planned and implemented a career exploration and advisory curriculum for middle school students that resulted in a “Day at Work” mentorship program for students based on their career interests. She brought training on trauma sensitivity, mindfulness and other resources to the classrooms to help students and teachers to understand the neuroscience behind their thoughts, feelings, sensations and urges coupled with an understanding of how their executive functioning needs impacted their academic work. She also conducted ongoing support meetings for parents of children with special needs as well as groups for adoptive parents. She provided key leadership in creating wrap-around plans for students in crisis. In addition, she mentored counseling interns from BU, Harvard, Suffolk, Lesley, Northeastern and BC graduate schools. Finally, she led professional development for counselors and teachers across the district in providing support for students in the wake of COVID-19.

Currently, Gail works at NECOA with clients from across the life span to become more curious about their thoughts and feelings, empowering them to become more flexible in their thinking. In addition, she recognizes the importance of helping our young people to use their voice to gain autonomy and agency while enriching their lives and following their values, so that they may recognize their ability to move forward even when it feels challenging to do so.

Ms Kerry O’Donnell

MA, Mental Health Counselor

Kerry O’Donnell is a mental health counselor and the Clinic Manager at New England Center for OCD and Anxiety, Boston. She completed her undergraduate studies, in psychology, at Suffolk University. During this time she had the privilege of working in Dr. Coyne’s research lab at Suffolk and Dr. Langer’s mindfulness lab at Harvard. After graduation, worked at the newly opened Child and Adolescent OCD Institute at McLean Hospital. There she worked for 4 years with children and adolescents with OCD and anxiety disorders until moving for graduate school. She completed her masters in mental health counseling at Hofstra University. While at Hofstra, she completed her practicum at Saltzman Community Services Center and internship at Hofstra’s Student Counseling Center. While living in New York, she worked for four years in a residential home for young adults with autism.

When she is not working she enjoys hanging out with her friends and family, especially at the beach or around a nice fire. You can also catch her playing video games and DnD or taking in as many podcasts or tv shows as possible!

Ms Sarah Cunningham

MSc, Assistant Psychologist

Sarah Cunningham is an Assistant Psychologist at Smithsfield Clinic with a B.A. (Hons) in Psychology and an MSc in Psychology. Sarah’s research experience has centred around paternal perinatal mental health.

Sarah previously volunteered with ChildLine, and she has worked with Smithsfield Clinic since February 2023. Sarah assists in assessment, scoring and interpreting measures, report writing, and with the delivery of MAGPIES group therapy. Sarah also works with our specialist NECOA service and is currently undergoing training to provide ACT-based therapy.

Sarah is a graduate member of the Psychological Society of Ireland.

Dr Evelyn Gould

PhD, BCBA-D, CPsychol

Evelyn is a Licensed Psychologist and Clinical Behavior Analyst who has been working with families for two decades. Her work reflects personal and professional values of authenticity, compassion, humility, and social justice. She is passionate about individualized, culturally responsive, evidence-based approaches to supporting children and young people, and empowering caregivers and families. Evelyn trained under Dr Coyne, at the McLean Child and Adolescent OCD Institute (OCDI Jr.), in addition to having extensive experience supporting families, children and young people with chronic mental health, behavioral and learning challenges across a wide variety of settings. In particular, Evelyn offers a safe, affirmative, and empowering space for Neurodiverse and LGBTQIA+ youth and their families. In addition to her clinical work, Evelyn is a seasoned supervisor, mentor and clinical trainer. Evelyn has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and chapters on assessment and treatment, and frequently presents around the globe at professional conferences and other events. She recently co-authored the book, “Understanding and Applying Relational Frame Theory: Mastering the foundations of complex language in our work and lives as behavior analysts” published by Context Press/New Harbinger.

Dr Jolie Pepperman

PsyD, Psychologist

Jolie Pepperman, PsyD is from the Greater Philadelphia area. After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh, she completed her doctoral degree in psychology at Widener University. She focused her studies and clinical training in work with children, families and adolescents, ACT/CBT, and gaining certification in school psychology. Jolie is currently a postdoctoral fellow at NECOA, where works with children, teens, adults, and parents in the treatment (individual and group) of anxiety and OCD using evidence-based interventions including ERP and ACT. She values bringing authenticity and warmth into her work with clients of all ages.

Jolie loves traveling, summer, spending time with friends and family, and all things TV and movies (The Oscars is her Super Bowl).

Dr Elyse Stewart

PhD, Psychologist

Hi! I’m Elyse (she/her) and I am a postdoctoral fellow here at the New England Center for OCD and Anxiety. I was born and raised in New England but completed my graduate training in upstate New York at SUNY Binghamton. I have my PhD in clinical psychology and my area of focus is working with individuals with OCD and anxiety related disorders. I am particularly interested in learning more about how we can enhance exposure therapy for our clients.

In my free time, I love to make pottery and bake!

Dr Jason Krompinger

PhD, ABPP, Licensed Psychologist

Dr. Jason Krompinger, PhD, ABPP, is a clinical psychologist and the Director of Clinical Training at the New England Center for OCD and Anxiety. He is also a faculty member of the International OCD Foundation Behavior Therapy Training Institute (BTTI) and is a Lecturer (part-time) at Harvard Medical School. He has co-authored several research articles and delivered many talks, seminars, and community training on OCD. Across his career, he has found great joy in supervising and consulting with students, post-docs, early-career psychologists, and seasoned clinicians.

In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, distance running, cooking, creating music, and appreciating cartridge-era video games.

Ms Emma O’Sullivan

Occupational Therapist

Emma is a Senior Occupational Therapist who graduated from the University of Ulster in 2006. With over 16 years’ experience she has worked as an OT in both the hospital and community settings. Emma has worked for over 15years with children within the HSE and is passionate about what she does. Emma commenced her private practice in 2022 and adopts a practical approach to assessment and intervention. Throughout her experience she will work at the pace of the parents and children to obtain the best outcome. Emma provides both assessment and intervention for children presenting with co-ordination difficulties, hypermobility, ASD, Sensory processing difficulties and difficulty with functional skills. Emma also has experience with complex seating and can provide assessment for children or adults in this respect. Emma can provide advise and support or training to teachers and SNA’s and has experience of running projects in school with great outcomes for the staff and children. These include a “sowing seeds in through Motor skills united programme which she presented at the AOTI conference in 2015, how to implement your sensory based programme in an Autism unit in the Meath area and most recently observations in a school in two ASD classes with hands on input and recommendations.

Emma has undertaken training over the years in Sensory integration, Is it sensory or behaviour, Housing adaptations, Assistive Technology, Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), Specialised seating assessment mentorship, Floortime, BioKinesiology and Reiki Level 1.

Emma is registered to practice as an Occupational Therapist by CORU (Ireland’s Health and Social Care Professionals Regulator). Emma is a registered member of the Association of Occupational Therapists in Ireland (AOTI) and BioKinesiology Association of Ireland (BKAI).

Emma qualified as a BioKinesiologist in 2021. BioKinesiology is a holistic approach to caring for your health, whether it is physical, emotional or mental health (i.e. gut issues, anxiety/depression/irritability/aggression, skin conditions/sleep issues or generally wellbeing. Through the traditional use of muscle testing we test many pathways in the body to ascertain what is the root cause is for the persons symptoms or feelings. We support the body by advising what to eliminate from your body and advise appropriate nutrition and supplementation. Emma aims to provide a practical and holistic approach to a child’s therapy and combine the two modalities to best support a child’s needs.

Contact on otwithemmao@gmail.com

Phone 0858408902

Mr Jack Crehan

Assistant Psychologist

Mr Crehan is an Assistant Psychologist at Smithsfield clinic who graduated from the National University of Ireland Maynooth with a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Psychology in 2022. He is currently completing a Masters Degree in Applied Clinical Neuropsychology in Trinity College Dublin.

Jack has worked as an Assistant Psychologist at Smithsfield Clinic since 2020. In the past he has worked with Virtual Reality to deliver mindfulness-based exercises at the clinic, with which he ran a pilot study on the applications of VR as an adjunct to therapy.

In Smithsfield Clinic he assists in assessment, scoring and interpreting measures, report writing, delivery of pilot-based ACT intervention and various administrative tasks.

Dr Orla Moran

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Dr Orla Moran is currently a postdoctoral research associate with the NetwellCASALA research centre for aging in Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) and a lecturer on the Diploma in Psychology with City Colleges Dublin. With a B.A. (Hons) in Psychology, Orla completed a PhD in Contextual Behavioural Science at University College Dublin (UCD). Orla’s current work includes examining the behaviour change impact of digital interventions, on older people with cardiac conditions. Orla has taught and supervised undergraduate and postgraduate students at UCD and DkIT. As an Assistant Psychologist with ACT Now Ireland, she has delivered training in third wave therapies such Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to both professionals and clinical populations. Orla has worked on the Changing Lives Initiative, within which she conducted a process and cost-effectiveness evaluation of the Incredible Years Parenting Programme for behaviours consistent with ADHD across Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. Orla is a member of the Editorial Board for the international Journal of Contextual Behavioural Science.

Brenda

Soothsayer in Training

Brenda is a soothsayer in training, and she is still learning the ropes. Please be patient with her as she is still learning how to evoke a sense of calm in people. If she tries to eat your lunch or lick your face, we’re sorry.

Ms Lynda McGivney Nolan

Qualified Optometrist

Lynda McGivney-Nolan is a qualified optometrist with over 25 years experience in eye care. McGivney Opticians were originally established in 1833 in Henry St, in Dublin City Centre. In 2008 Lynda took her patient base and opening a new clinic in Bray, to offer her clients a continuation of enhanced eye care. The service is highly personal and tailored to each patient’s exact needs. Lynda specialises in trouble shooting tricky eye care issues and just loves a challenge.

In her role as Optometric Advisor to the Association of Optometrists Lynda regularly undertakes continuous further education, training and research to ensure she is abreast of all trends in eyecare and optometry.

Lynda lectures in Diabetic eye care, Glaucoma, retinal health and paediatric eye care.

Currently completing her Masters in Clinical Visual Optics with University of Ulster Coleraine, Lynda has also completed training in new areas of Optometry such as Vision Care for Down Syndrome and Special Needs patients, Vision Therapy and Behavioural Optometry.

As Clinical Director with Special Olympics Ireland Opening Eyes Programme, Lynda has a special interest in children’s eye care and eye care for people with intellectual difficulties and special needs. The clinic is specifically equipped to examine people of all levels of intellectual abilities and educational needs.

The Pembroke Eye Clinic is an accredited eye care provider with Down Syndrome Ireland.

Lynda is active in promoting eye health and has been responsible for national campaigns highlighting the need for better eye care in Ireland, AMD week, Glaucoma, Children’s eye care.

Dr Steven Gannon

Chartered Psychologist of the Psychological Society of Ireland

Dr Steve Gannon is a Chartered Psychologist of the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI), Psychology lecturer and therapist. He received his PhD in Psychology in the field of Relational Frame Theory from Maynooth University. Dr Gannon has taught Psychology in a number of universities in Ireland and developed Psychology modules for new courses in the area of early childhood education. His academic interests include the experimental analysis of behaviour, the role of avoidance behaviour in the maintenance of anxiety, intelligence and the social inclusion on of children with Special Education Needs (SEN). Dr Gannon has published research in these areas in peer-reviewed outlets and has presented research findings at international conferences. He has worked closely with people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their parents for over ten years. Dr Gannon is particularly passionate about using acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and Mindfulness-based interventions to support children, teens and adults. He specializes in the areas of anxiety, stress and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

Dr Roberta Hines

BA, H.Dip Montessori, D.Psych.BAT, BCBA-D, M.Ps.S.I

Dr Hines is a Board Certified Behaviour Analysis at Doctoral Level and holds a Doctorate in Behavioral Therapy and Applied Behavior Analysis from Maynooth University Ireland, a Higher Diploma in Montessori Education from Birth to Six Years from St. Nicholas Montessori College, and a B.A. in Psychology from St. Mary’s College Notre Dame Indiana. Roberta is trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Mindfulness-based Interventions. She has hosted online and in person training courses for Mindfulness/Meditation and most recently ACT for Childcare Professionals and ACT for Parents of Anxious Children. She is a member of the Psychological Society of Ireland and the Association of Contextual Behavioural Sciences.

Roberta has over 20 years’ experience in the field of Early Intervention and Early Childhood Education. She is the founder of Tiddlywinks & Scallywags Early Learning Centre, where she specializes in creating enriched learning environments that foster the holistic growth of the child using the principles of ABA and Montessori Education. She has extended her understanding of early intervention by training in Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), Promotion of Emergent Advance Knowledge (PEAK), Hannen Language and Lamh. She is the co-author of Ready 2 Go Montessori and Play based curriculum. Roberta is actively involved in campaigning for the Early Childhood Sector and holds positions on the Boards of National Childcare Network and the Federation of Early Childhood Providers.

Roberta is the onsite coordinator for Saint Mary’s College Ireland program at Maynooth University. She has held this position since 2004. Roberta teaches ICS 250 Intercultural Engagement Through Study Abroad, which includes interactive lectures and excursions to cultural and historic sites in Ireland. The Ireland programme lives up to the promises of Sister Madeleva who said, “We promise you discovery: the discovery of yourselves, the discovery of the universe and your place in it.”

Roberta enjoys watercolour painting, and has exhibited with her local art club The Castle Keep Art Group. She is also actively involved in her local drama group, An Nuadha Players, where she helps design costumes for the yearly panto, and occasionally treads the boards. In her spare time she loves to keep flowers and chickens which she believes provide simple joys.

At the clinic, Robert co-runs various training programmes with Dr Cassidy and assists with the rollout of the Magpies project.

Prof. Louise McHugh

Professor of Psychology

Dr Cassidy and Professor McHugh work together on designing and carrying out research into the efficacy of ACT and RFT therapeutic interventions for youth clinical populations. For more information see here https://people.ucd.ie/louise.mchugh.

Professor McHugh is not available for appointments through our service at present.

Ms Charlene McLaughlin

Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA)

Ms McLaughlin is a BCBA and has spent the past five years supporting children (4 – 17 years) and their families who have a diagnosis of ASD and other neurodevelopmental conditions within the Health Service. She works collaboratively to identify achievable goals that help the individual with personal struggles such as anxiety, low mood and fears. She values uplifting others by creating contexts in which individuals can see their own potential and become experts in themselves. She have a passion for ERP and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and how it can be used to support individuals and their families achieve just that.

Charlene is only available for online appointments at present.

Dr Elle Kirsten

MSc, BCBA, LBA, PhD

Elle is a Board Certified and New York State Licensed Behavior Analyst (BCBA; LBA). She is the Founder and Director of Compassionate Behavior Analysis, PLLC, an Applied-RFT and ACT center for children and teens. Elle earned her PhD in relational frame theory (RFT; Psychology) at the National University of Ireland, Galway. She completed her MSc in Psychology at the University of Auckland with a concentration in applied behavior analysis, and she completed her HonsBSc in Psychology at the University of Toronto. Her research and clinical interests are in the development and acquisition of meaningful and functional language (RFT), and in helping children find meaning and joy in their lives (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, ACT). Elle has presented her clinical work and academic research at numerous conferences, and she has published a number of articles regarding RFT and complex language development.

Elle loves animals (especially dogs), water skiing, wakeboarding, surfing, scuba diving, snow skiing, swimming, walking in forests, jungles, and botanical gardens, and reading poetry.

Elle is only available for online appointments at present.

Ms Mikala Grimaldi

Lead OCD and Anxiety Behavior Specialist

Mikala (she/her/hers) is the Lead OCD and Anxiety Behavior Specialist at NECOA’s Boston location. In her work with clients struggling with these disorders, Mikala utilizes evidence-based modalities including Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Mikala’s role at NECOA’s Midlands location includes providing training and consultation for clinicians, as needed.

Mikala received her training by Dr. Lisa W. Coyne at McLean’s Child and Adolescent OCD Institute (OCDI Jr.) where she worked as both a Lead Community Residence Counselor and Clinical Research Assistant until August of 2020. In addition to transitioning into her clinical roles at NECOA in April of 2020, she also became the Clinical Research Coordinator and Clinic Manager at the New England Center for OCD and Anxiety, Boston.

Besides being passionate about her work, Mikala enjoys being in nature, exploring new places and foods, and spending time with her family, friends, and puppy, Malinda Sue.

Mikala is only available for online appointments at present.

Dr Seán O’Connell

Chartered Counselling Psychologist

Dr O’Connell is a Chartered Counselling Psychologist specializing in ACT and Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT). He is an experienced therapist, having worked in a variety of settings (primary care; student services; psycho-oncology; in-patient and outpatient clinics for psychosis; residential and out-patient centres for complex trauma and challenging behaviour) providing therapeutic treatment for a range of difficulties, including:

stress relating to exams, family, relationships, cancer, complex trauma, and fertility issues
anxiety
low mood/depression
eating disorders
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Dr O’Connell has given workshops at both national and international conferences on the application of Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, and Emotion Focused Therapy. He delivers the most up-to-date therapeutic approaches, which are based upon over thirty years of research.

In Smithsfield Clinic, Dr O’Connell carries out assessments. He is currently only available for psycho-educational assessment services with us. If you wish to book an appointment for other consultation or therapy services, you will need to contact him directly at https://instituteofpsychology.ie/our-psychologists/dr-sean-oconnell.

Ms Niamh Mallon

Occupational Therapist

Niamh is a Clinical Specialist Paediatric Occupational Therapist with over 20 years’ experience working with children, adolescents and their families. She has previously managed children’s Occupational Therapy teams and has worked in a variety of paediatric settings across the HSE and NHS. Niamh specialises in screening, assessing and providing intervention to children and young people who experience difficulties with coordination, handwriting, organisation, attention and concentration, and emotional regulation. Niamh also works with children and young people who struggle with daily living tasks, who have disordered sensory processing, and students who require assistive technology at school. Niamh is a mum of two and loves outdoor activities. More information regarding Niamh’s professional background is available here.

Smithsfield Clinic have worked collaboratively with Ms Niamh Mallon over the past number of years and we highly recommend her for OT related questions, therapy or assessments. With parents’ permission, we are happy to discuss your child’s case with Niamh but if you wish to book an appointment with Niamh, you’ll need to contact her directly at www.thechildrensot.com.

Ms Oonagh MacMahon

Speech and Language Therapist

Oonagh works with our psychologists administering our autism assessments only and is not available for other SLT services at our clinic at this time. If you wish to book speech and language therapy assessment or treatment with Oonagh, please contact her directly at www.thespeechsoundclinic.com.

Ms Aisling Leonard-Curtin

Chartered Counselling Psychologist

Ms Curtin is a Chartered Counselling Psychologist, peer-reviewed ACT trainer, and functional analytic psychotherapy (FAP) trainer. She has experience working across a variety of settings including organisational, psychiatry, addictions, psycho-oncology, community, public, and educational settings.

Ms Curtin and Dr Cassidy collaborate on trainings for clinicians on the usage of ACT therapy for various populations nationally and internationally. For direct appointments with Aisling, contact her via the ACT-Now website at www.actnow.co.

Aisling teaches on multiple university courses at Masters and Doctorate level and regularly delivers ACT workshops internationally. She is a published author, most recently co‐authoring The Power of Small, a number one bestseller in Ireland. Aisling’s first book, an edited volume co-edited by Matthew Skinta, “Mindfulness and Acceptance for Gender and Sexual Minorities” was published by New Harbinger. Aisling regularly contributes to the media on how to make small but powerful changes when everything feels too much. She has been featured in multiple media outlets including the Irish Times, Sunday Independent, The Today Show, Elaine, Ireland am, Radio 1, 2FM, and Psychology Today. She is keen to bring this transformative approach out to as many people as possible.

Ms Chloe Drumm, M.Sc.

Assistant Psychologist

Ms Drumm is an Assistant Psychologist at Smithsfield Clinic who graduated from Ulster University with a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Psychology in 2018. She went on to complete a Masters Degree in Developmental Psychology from Maastricht University in the Netherlands.

Chloe has worked as an Assistant Psychologist for the past two years since finishing her Masters in 2019. She worked in Psychologists in Primary School (PIPS) with children aged between 8 years old and 12 years old. In this role she supported children’s mental health through play therapy on a one-to-one basis in a Deis school in Dublin. Chloe also worked as an Assistant Psychologist for the HSE in the Early Intervention Team (EIT). In this role, she observed and co-administered cognitive and autism assessments, scored up assessment forms and co-facilitated parent intervention groups e.g Stepping Stones and ACT.

In Smithsfield Clinic she assists in assessment, report writing, delivery of a pilot-based ACT intervention to build social skills in school aged children and various administrative tasks.

Ms Shannon Eidman

Educational Psychologist & BCBA

Ms Eidman is a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) with a postgraduate degree in School Psychology from the University of Cincinnati in Ohio, US. She has been supporting individuals experiencing various learning and behaviour differences across a range of settings for over 25 years. She has delivered trainings in the US, throughout islands in the Caribbean, and here in Ireland. She has also presented at several national and international conferences, and has guest lectured at Trinity University on topics related to Applied Behaviour Analysis.

She began her career at the prestigious Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, MD, in the United States. While working in the Division of Developmental and Behavioural Paediatrics, she treated behavioural difficulties in children diagnosed with a range of developmental and genetic conditions. She made Ireland her home in 2008, when she was asked by a parent group to relocate and establish a special school for autistic children. She has been providing training and behavioural support to families, schools, and service providers throughout Ireland since 2010.

Shannon has extensive experience supporting children from ages 18 months onwards. She feels strongly that any intervention or form of support must be evidence-based, but also respectful, pragmatic, and child and family-centred. She has an interest in naturalistic and developmentally appropriate early intervention and has completed advanced training in the Early Start Denver Model. She has also completed an Advanced Course in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Mindfulness-Based Interventions, allowing her to integrate ACT into her positive behaviour support plans to more effectively and compassionately reduce difficulties while improving children’s overall social and emotional well-being.

She has a great appreciation for individuals who identify as neurodiverse, having experience not only in a professional capacity, but also personally at home. She is the parent to two unique and fabulous teen boys.

Dr Lisa Coyne

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Dr Coyne is the Founder and Senior Clinical Consultant of the McLean OCD Institute for Children and Adolescents at McLean Hospital and is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School. She is the Founder and Executive Director of the New England Center for OCD and Anxiety (NECOA) and is the Past President of the Association of Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS). She is a member of the Clinical and Scientific Advisory Board and is on the Faculty of the Behavior Therapy Training Institute (BTTI) of the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF). She is also a licensed psychologist, a peer-reviewed ACT trainer, and author. She has authored multiple articles and chapters on ACT with children and adolescents and is a co-author of the books “Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: The Clinician’s Guide for Supporting Parents” (Elsevier) and “The Joy of Parenting” (New Harbinger). Her new books, “Stuff That’s Loud: A Teen’s Guide to Unspiralling When OCD Gets Noisy” (New Harbinger & Little Brown), “Stop Avoiding Stuff: 25 Microskills to Face Your Fears and Do It Anyway”, were published in 2020.

Ms Julianne Bell

Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA)

Ms Julianne Bell is a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst who has worked in the field for over 20 years. She completed her Psychology Undergraduate Degree at Queen’s University Belfast and then received a Masters with Distinction in Behaviour Analysis from the University of Ulster.

Over the years she has worked to support individuals with a range of developmental differences such as ASD, ADHD and Down Syndrome. Initially her work was focused on early development then, as a teacher at the New England Centre for Children and as Clinic Director of an Autism Centre in India, her work expanded to include academic, functional living and vocational support for teenagers and young adults.

More recently Julianne has specialised in supporting children, teens and young adults who struggle with the challenges associated with Emotional Behavioural Disorders, OCD and Anxiety, and Sleep Disorders. Her clinical practice is a strengths-based approach which is grounded in evidence-based practices within Clinical Behaviour Analysis (e.g. Exposure and Response Prevention, Behavioural Activation, Behavioural Parent Training) and Contextual Behaviour Science (e.g. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Functional Analytic Psychotherapy and Compassion Focused Therapy).

Ms Joeleen Lynch

MSc, BCBA

Joeleen is a graduate of the National University of Ireland, Galway, having completed a Masters in Applied Behaviour Analysis, and is a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA).

Joeleen has extensive experience of behaviour Analysis. She works with children from 20 months to 18 years with learning and behavioural differences. She has worked in a wide range of settings to include preschools, schools, the home and community providing training and individualized behaviour support to families and schools. Joeleen has a keen interest in early intervention, specifically; naturalistic, developmentally appropriate intervention and has completed the Early Start Denver Model, introductory training. While Joeleen initially focused on early intervention, as the children she supported grew, so did her interests. She has taken a strong interest in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Mindfulness-based interventions and now integrates ACT into her behaviour support plans.

In her spare time, Joeleen enjoys spending time with her family, especially her two young children, and horse riding.

Aislinn Ryan

Assistant Psychologist

Ms Ryan is an Assistant Psychologist at Smithsfield Clinic who holds a BA (Hons) in Psychology and a Master’s in Psychological Science from University College Dublin. She previously worked as an Assistant Psychologist with ADHD Ireland, where she co-founded a new service which was awarded funding for young adults with ADHD. She also co-facilitated support groups and personal development sessions for adults with ADHD. Aislinn also has experience as a Research Assistant on the My World Survey 2 (National Study of Youth Mental Health) and an Autism de-stigmatisation intervention with children. Aislinn has held the role of an Access Leader for 3 years at UCD, as part of widening participation projects, engaging with prospective students from underrepresented backgrounds at higher education.

At the Clinic, Aislinn has co-facilitated a Magpies group on Emotional Regulation for children with emotional/behavioural difficulties. Additionally, Aislinn observes assessments, scores and interprets measures, and writes assessment reports.

Cocoa

Resident Greeter and Soothsayer

Cocoa is Dr Cassidy’s family dog and is usually seen roaming around the clinic grounds. Cocoa is a very friendly, good-natured dog and is easy to approach. However, if you or your child are afraid of dogs, we will make sure she is not present when you visit.

New England Centre for OCD and Anxiety (NECOA) Ireland, Irish Midlands Branch

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