Are your assessments accepted by other professionals?

Yes, my reports are accepted by schools and the HSE. If you or your child have received a diagnosis of ADHD and wish to access medication, then you or your child may need to be referred to Adult or Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services if you wish to access medication and further intervention. These services may choose to do a further assessment for their own processes, but this will be at no cost to you.

For adult ADHD diagnoses, I am pleased to say that I can offer a direct referral to a Consultant Psychiatrist regarding medication to manage ADHD. This does not require a re-assessment as my reports are fully accepted. This is a service provided separately to West Cork Psychology and I cannot provide any information regarding costs etc. This can be discussed directly with the Consultant Psychiatrist upon referral.

If you access Psychiatry privately through other channels, then they may insist on charging for a re-assessment. However, as my assessments are completed in line with current best-practice guidelines, then this should be treated with caution.

Currently there are no private Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists practicing within Cork that I am aware of, so if you wish to access medication for your child, then this must be done through Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

I am working on establishing a pathway for adult clients to be able to connect directly with a Consultant Psychiatrist following an assessment with West Cork Psychology.

Do you offer any intervention for ADHD?

Not at this time.

Do you assess for autism/ASD?

Not at this time. We can screen for autism by request or if it appears clinically indicated. This will only provide an insight into whether a further autism assessment may be beneficial.

What are your fees?

Fees are covered on the relevant information pages of this site. In brief, assessment/therapy sessions cost €120 per session and cognitive assessments start from €700.

What does the assessment fee cover?

The fee covers a variety of things, both seen and unseen. Predominantly, fees are based on the time taken per assessment. Apart from the time spent discussing and testing, your fee covers scoring and complex interpretation of psychometric tests, detailed report writing, contacting relevant professionals, reading and considering relevant reports and crafting appropriate recommendations and helpful strategies.

Can I claim against private health insurance?

You would need to discuss this with your insurer, as each insurance policy differs. However, it is likely to be tax-deductible as a healthcare expense.

How do I pay for appointments?

In the case of cognitive and ADHD assessments, payment in full is due at the time of booking to secure the appointment. You can pay by cash, bank transfer or by debit/credit card. I will send you an invoice with payment details by email at the time of booking an appointment.

For therapy, fees are payable in advance. I will send you an invoice by email. You can pay via bank transfer or by debit/credit card.

What if I need to cancel a session?

Please see my cancellation policy for full details.

What are your qualifications?

In 2005, I began by studying for a 4-year Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience (Hons), but realised towards the end that I wanted to study Psychology instead. I then went to University College Cork do do a 2-year conversion course in Applied Psychology (accredited by the Psychological Society of Ireland). I followed this up with a 1-year MSc in Foundations of Clinical Psychology at the University of Bangor, UK (accredited by the British Psychological Society). Following a period working as a post-grad research assistant and psychometrist in various locations in Ireland and Canada, I began completing my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsych) at the University of East Anglia (accredited by the British Psychological Society). This 3-year course involved intensive academic teaching on 4 core areas: Evidence and Values Based Practice; Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Systemic Therapy and Neuropsychology; Leadership and Consultancy; and Research. Simultaneously, I completed 6 clinical placements under close supervision in a variety of mental and physical health settings, I submitted a number of assessed assignments and I wrote my thesis portfolio, which included a Systematic Review and an empirical research paper. My full thesis portfolio was entitled “An exploration of the relationship between insulin misuse and eating disorder psychopathology in adults with type 1 diabetes” and it can be accessed here.

What happens at our first therapy session?

Our first session is an opportunity for us to get to know each other. I’ll start by covering some basics about what to expect from the session, what you can expect from me and what I expect from you. I’ll also talk about my confidentiality policy. After that, I’ll ask some open-ended questions to start learning about you and what brought you to see me. Don’t worry if you find yourself stuck for words - I’ll keep asking questions if I need to, but I’ll also let you talk as much as you want. At the end, we’ll discuss whether you’d like to attend another session, we may make a treatment plan and we’ll schedule our next appointment.

I’m not sure about online therapy. Wouldn’t it be better to be face-to-face?

It’s normal to feel unsure about online therapy. The idea of going to a therapist is probably stressful enough for you, but to not be in the room together might feel even harder. Thankfully, Covid-19 gave us a great opportunity to find our feet with online therapy, and my experience is that it typically works just as well to bring about change as face-to-face work does. As a bonus, you don’t need to stress about travel, parking, running late, missing a lot of extra work to allow for travel time, etc. You can make yourself comfortable in your own space, and then return immediately to your normal routine once the session ends.

What do I need to have to do online sessions?

All you need is a private space, a device that can connect to the internet and that has a camera. It can be a smartphone, tablet, laptop or computer. I will send you a link that you click to join and you don’t need to download or run anything. For privacy and to improve hearing, you may wish to wear a headset or earphones with a built-in microphone, such as the ones that often comes with smart phones.

What if we have connection issues or the internet fails?

Obviously, technical problems of this kind can’t be predicted, nor are they within our control. We will try to continue with the video call where possible. If I am disconnected, I will reconnect as soon as I can, and I ask the same of you. However, if around 10 minutes of the session becomes affected, or it becomes frustrating to either party, we will switch to a phone call for the remainder of the session, if you are based in Ireland. If you are outside Ireland, the session may need to be rescheduled altogether. Session time cannot be extended in this event and will remain as 50 minutes.

How many sessions will I need?

This varies significantly from person to person. Some may need as few as four sessions, while others may need 20 or more. We will discuss a rough treatment plan at the end of our initial assessment, including an estimation of the number of sessions that may be helpful. I will always discuss with you whether you’d like to book another session and there is no obligation to continue if you don’t want to. Equally, if it becomes apparent that you are not benefitting from our work over time, I will discuss with you whether we should continue or not. Sessions would typically be held weekly where possible, but fortnightly is also an option.

Can I contact you in between sessions?

Clinical contact with clients is by booked appointments only. This is so that I can fulfil my commitments to all clients who book to see me, without clinics becoming delayed. If you need more frequent contact than the planned sessions, or you have other needs, this may suggest I am not the right service for you, and you should contact your Doctor for more urgent help. Please note I am not a mental health service, nor can I provide crisis support in this regard.

Is it confidential and is my personal information secure?

Notwithstanding safety issues, details shared within sessions remain confidential, with brief session records stored electronically and in line with GDPR requirements. Client names would be visible to those supporting the service with financial reporting, such as an accountant, however no clinical information would be visible in this context. Further, it is a professional requirement for the psychologist to engage in regular clinical supervision and as such, clinical information may sometimes be shared in order to seek advice from a peer or more senior supervisor in the interest of following best practice. However, such discussions are anonymised and the supervisor would not have access to client-identifying details.

Still have questions? Get in touch to discuss further.